Side light upgrade.

[Stridey]

after recently upgrading headlights to led, I was more aware that the sidelights were very dull (and yellowish), so upgraded with ‘Classic Car LEDs’ . Stopped 1/2 way for an amateur comparison, just for reference. Very happy with upgrade for the dull evenings coming. 

[Steve Sheldon]

Looks good - can you let us have the Part number you bought please?

[Stridey]

Here is a link. There are cheaper versions but this is a uk seller who seems to know his onions. I got rear red brake bulbs from there too. https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F182772004130

[aliwes]

I have no idea why car manufacturers bother fitting side lights (well, maybe as parking lights). You either want your lights on or not. If you don't want them on, it will be broad daylight and you can both see AND be seen. If you want lights on it is either because visibility is bad (dark, grey, raining, foggy, drizzle) or you want to be seen (small low car, bad road, bad weather etc.). People that put sidelights on are, in my opinion, morons - I'm not calling you a moron by the way as you seem to be fitting LED's to enhance the look of the bowls when your lights are on ;-)

The number of grey cars that drive in the middle lane of the motorway in rain with sidelights on (or even no lights on!) quite clearly have no concept of how impossible they are to be seen.

 

 

[Stridey]

I have wondered similar.

However, I think living London, where it's all streetlighted, the window of opportunity for using sidelights is bigge / longer than the sticks. It's less dazzling for oncoming vehicles, obviously. But I guess it does depend on how dark it really is... and I understand the 'all or nothing' argument. 

Its a courtesy when pulled up to the side to come off dipped, to stop dazzle perhaps while waiting for someone. 

One thing side lights do is give backup to a single main bulb. (I do carry spare bulbs as a matter of course, part of my travel kit). This backup means you can get home safe to replace a main bulb.

And the little known law to use sidelights when parked on any road with a more than 30mph speed limit.  But honestly, who knew that law and has anyone in living memory been done by it?

The good thing about sidelights is that the rears light up too. I have a car with DRLs that doesn't light up the rears and as I've said, in city driving it's easy for it to get dark and forget about lights. I've done it. ...so I'll accept the 'moron' comment with good grace!

[Speedtrip]

My VW tin top doesn't have front side lights, it simply relies upon the DLR lights. It only adds rear lights when the dash switch is operated.

[Toby S]

Sorry for late input, but the main problem with use of sidelights (as with many other features of driving) is the lack of clarity in the exact highway code rules  - which in the case of lighting states (bold italics are my comments).

Rule 113

You MUST

• ensure all sidelights and rear registration plate lights are lit between sunset and sunrise - Seems  those car which have dispensed with side lights altogether are technically illegal
• use headlights at night, except on a road which has lit street lighting. These roads are generally restricted to a speed limit of 30 mph (48 km/h) unless otherwise specified
• Use headlights when visibility is seriously reduced (see Rule 226 which states you MUST use headlights when visibility is seriously reduced, generally when you cannot see for more than 100 metres).

Night (the hours of darkness) is defined as the period between half an hour after sunset and half an hour before sunrise).

Therefore from the above it would suggest driving on sidelights is acceptable for the first 30 mins after sunset and first 30 mins before sunrise and also in a 30mph well street light lit areas unless visibility is seriously reduced to under 100 metres

Section 114

You MUST NOT

• use any lights in a way which would dazzle or cause discomfort to other road users, including pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders - which from my cycling days few seem to comply with on unlit roads
• use front or rear fog lights unless visibility is seriously reduced. You MUST switch them off when visibility improves to avoid dazzling other road users (see Rule 226) - This has go to be the most abused rule on the road 
• In stationary queues of traffic, drivers should apply the parking brake and, once the following traffic has stopped, take their foot off the footbrake to deactivate the vehicle brake lights. This will minimise glare to road users behind until the traffic moves again. -  few drivers of automatics apply this rule

115
You should also

• use dipped headlights, or dim-dip if fitted, at night in built-up areas and in dull daytime weather, to ensure that you can be seen - seems to contradict rule 113
• keep your headlights dipped when overtaking until you are level with the other vehicle and then change to main beam if necessary, unless this would dazzle oncoming road users
• slow down, and if necessary stop, if you are dazzled by oncoming headlights

The main problem the highway code is it doesn't cover all eventualities e.g.

• use of sidelights and front fog lights only in dense fog at night to avoid glare back from headlights bouncing off the fog - sensible (only if fog lights are low slung) but technically illegal
• use of headlights when driving out of low sun (bright sunny day) to ensure you can been seen by on coming traffic again sensible but not really covered in the above

The highway code assumes use of judgment (one major human frailty) and fundamentally the rule needs to be use sufficient lighting in order to be seen or to see which also means taking into account density and type of traffic around you and the lighting vehicles around you have on

Look on the bright side - within 20 years, none of this will be a problem to any of us anymore  as having a human controlling any aspect of transportation (let alone just the decision of whether to put the lights on) will no longer be deemed an acceptable risk to take in the bubble world we will then live in controlled by Apple and Microsoft - the Caterham of 2040 is going to be a real hoot - not.

P.S Yes - I am one of the "morons" who trusts my judgment and drives on sidelights in accordance with the above rules. I also change lane on motorways without indicating (when pulling back in after overtaking slower vehicles, or shock horror when moving out when there are no faster vehicles closing up behind me), and don't get me started on the rules on overtaking on the white diagonal lines in the centre of wide 2 way traffic roads (typically former 3 lane roads with the old middle "chicken" lane - weren't they just great)

Nuff of the rant