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Parking lights

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Bruce Bowker

Bruce Bowker

Obi Wan
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Does anyone use "parking lights" and if so for what? I have no idea why cars still have them except for those bad drivers who somehow feel they should be used WAY past the time when the main headlights should be on. Or perhaps they are used to enter someone's driveway without blasting them with bright lights?

Bruce
 
I use mine when I need to be seen, such as on the side of the road, but don't want the headlights on for whatever reason. They also give enough light to pull into my driveway without disturbing the neighbors or anyone sleping in my own house.
 
My 2001 Passat does not have parking lights........either the lights are on or they are off. Some vehicles, such as Saabs I believe, have the facility to switch off the headlights but still leave the "parking" lights on for use in conjunction with fog lamps.
 
I use mine a lot in some of the heavily wooded roads around here. My dark green doesn't exactly stand out in the woods, but the "parking" lights are really bright on the front and are, I think, good indicator lamps to use without having the headlamps on. A few GM cars use the same type of lamps as daylight running lamps without having the rear "parking lights" on and they're fairly effective.
 
In the state of California it is illegal to drive at any time with the parking lights only on.

For me, parking lights are there to drain the battery when you thought that you turned the light switch off. At least that is all that I have ever used them for.

BTW Steve, if you leave your head lights on in your Passat and turn off the ignition, I believe that you will find that your parling lights remain on.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Or perhaps they are used to enter someone's driveway without blasting them with bright lights?

[/ QUOTE ]

Use mine every day, the last 50 yards/meters as I drive by my neighbours at night. Enough light to see where I'm going (on tick-over, stereo off ) without lighting up their living rooms. Wish more people would do that here in Tokyo. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yesnod.gif
 
I use mine at night for pulling into the driveway, and parking my car.
 
VA requires drivers to turn on headlights at dusk. I use parking lights sometimes just before "dusk" for added visibility.

What chafes me is drivers who use fog lights when there's no fog, especially in daylight on clear days!

Do lots of folks do this in your area?
 
Mark,

I usually turn my fog lamps off - the ones on my ram truck - About the only time I use them ( Other than when it's foggy) is when somebody's driving HUA and pulls out in front of me and either stops or pokes along at 10 miles per hour - then I turn em on - Headlights are too high to hit the rearview mirror of the perp's car.

I'm trying desperately to learn tolerance in a world where just about everybody is allowed to drive - regardless of ability, so if I'm out of line here just give me a verbal slap.

Bob M.
 
I used to drve a Bugeye that had a pair of Lucas Flamethrowers, and a pair of Cibie' Super Oscars mounted on the roll bar. You could melt the paint on some idiots deck lid at 200 yards with those. And they worked quite well, thank you!
Jeff /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/devilgrin.gif
 
Hi all, you may find it interesting that parking lights where the norm for in town driving in England back in the Sixties and were required if you parked over night in some areas. We had a little light we hung on the roadside window with a red and white lens on either side, the red was hung toward the traffic flow. I still have it somewhere. Wayne
 
I'd always thought these a bit useless until I moved to the UK.

Here in the higher latitudes twilight can last a long time. The dim conditions don't warrant full headlights but its still useful to show "running lights" rather than "parking lights".

Its something of a misnomer.
 
Like super seven said, only good for flattening batterys.
Out here you can be fined for not having them in working order, so they add to the bottomless pit of consolidated reveneue.

I have been driving over 30 years,(legally) and I don't ever remember using parkers at all. Except to turn them on to see if they are working. I agree with you Bruce, out here totally useless. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif
 
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