Thread: how close is too close?

If I can see their tail lights I dip my headlights, (as a general rule).

Cheers,

I have low beams on as long as I can see his tail lights, unless of course he is miles away on a deal flat/straight road.

From memory I think the road rules say 300m is the switch off distance. Much too close IMO.

Umm... I drop back to low beam as soon as I can see them in front of me. High beams are friggin bright from a hell of a long distance away, as in even over a kilometre away.

When do you dip them to an oncoming car? I personally dip them as soon as I see them as well, as do most people I meet on the roads.

When someone is following you with highbeams, you've got potentially 3 mirrors directing the light straight into your eyes, hence as courtesy, I dip them as soon as I see the vehicle in front - and I do a hell of a lot of night time country driving.

Ive always believed if I can see their taillights (which are much less powerful than my h/beam) then its low beam....

theres nothing worse than some one 500m back still buring your retinas because they want to play "daytime". Recently tried the brake light tap numerous times to no avail. stopped and let the car pass... couple ks up the road, he was being pinched for fail to dip within 200 metres oncoming vehicle...

turns out he high beamed theoncoming highway patrol car, who flashed him so he added spots to the mix!!! not smart!, apparently found dip switch when blue & reds turned on!!

I couldnt have organised it better if Id have rung him!!

very happy with result


digger

I mostly drive where the roads are curvaceous with well vegetated verges, so for oncoming it's as soon as we are both on the same straight. For traffic I am following, it's when they are sufficiently far enough ahead that their tail lights leave my view repeatedly-which means they are far enough ahead I can't rely on them to know where i'm going.
When i'm being overtaken its as soon as the vehicle is alongside me.

About 500metres, if following.
As soon as the oncoming car is spotted if coming toward me unless it is over a kilometer away.
If coming in from the side, as the other vehicle nears my light pattern.

Rovers4

In NSW it's an offence to operate your lights on hi beam within 200m of a vehicle ahead (same direction or approaching).

I dip them when ever I see another car - I rarely use high beam anyway...

Anecdotally:

A mate of mine was going for a walk after tea in Brisbane last year and he passed a breath testing set up. A few hundred metres down the road some tool was flashing his hi-beams at cars approaching the Police. An older fellow was driving toward the Police and copped the bloke flashing his lights, which distracted/blinded him enough to drift toward the kerb and hit Greg (my mate). Greg died at the scene and left behind a wife and three youngsters. Fortunately the 'flasher' saw the prang and stopped. That was in June '09 and it's still before the courts.

Matt.

I dip as soon as I know a vehicle is there - this is different to dipping when I see the vehicle. At night time you can tell when a vehicle is coming over the hill or coming around the bend by the way their headlights light up the surrounding area. As a courtesy I dip when I see that assuming its before I see the actual vehicle. I think that its bad form to have them crest the hill or round the bend to be blinded before being plunged back into darkness when I dip - especially considering how obvious it was that they were coming. Likewise with truck, you will see the marker lights over the cab well before you see their headlights which are well below the cab. I notice that when I dip for an oncoming that is about to crest, they usually do the same.

This said, I don't use high beam all that much. I'm not sure why, I just never have.