Invisible indicators on new cars.

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Cowsham
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Invisible indicators on new cars.

Post by Cowsham »

Has anyone noticed or more to the point not noticed indicators on some new cars? I am finding some new car indicators built into the Headlamps seem almost invisible when working especially now when car lights are on earlier in the evening. --- front view they are hard to detect so when arriving at a mini roundabout you can't really tell when they are indicating to turn ( to their right your left across your path. ) you only see the indicator as the car passes in front of you ie from the side. I think they are Dangerous.
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Jdsk
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Re: Invisible indicators on new cars.

Post by Jdsk »

I agree. In addition to being a different colour and flashing the spatial separation helps enormously in getting the message across.

I had a look a few years ago and couldn't find any relevant standards.

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Brucey
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Re: Invisible indicators on new cars.

Post by Brucey »

yep I agree; this is a bit of a bugbear with me; IMHO if you want to be sure that the signal isn't flashing (under varying light conditions) you need to be able to look directly at where the light should be flashing on the vehicle for long enough to see it flashing (or not) preferably without other lights nearby to dazzle/distract. If you can't identify where the flipping thing should be exactly, your chances of seeing it flash are further reduced.

One of the conditions where seeing the indicator in some headlamp assys is surprisingly difficult is almost head on, in the sunshine; other parts of the headlight assy reflector can catch the light and a weedy indicator bulb can easily be 'lost' in the mix.

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Paulatic
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Re: Invisible indicators on new cars.

Post by Paulatic »

I agree but I’m not a good enough kenner of makes and models to decide which ones are the real offenders. I think the running lights outshine the indicator leaving you unsure until they’re right on you.
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Re: Invisible indicators on new cars.

Post by peetee »

Entirely agree. I think modern car lighting is, on the whole, a total nuisance. Car design puts style before function to an impractical degree.
Headlights should be separated from indicators so they can be clearly seen. Many vehicles have them integrated and, ridiculously, the headlight is switched off when the indicator is activated!
Quite often the multi-faceted, crystal clear reflectors in headlights throw back sunlight at an intensity that totally obscures the output of the adjacent indicator bulb.
And don’t get me started on retina-ripping LED daytime running lights.
I’m sure these ‘improvements’ make for enhanced visibility for the driver but at what cost to everyone else. I have got to the point of dreading being on the road in the dark and have frequently dipped my rear-view mirror in daylight to protect my vision from a following SUV with running lights.
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Cowsham
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Re: Invisible indicators on new cars.

Post by Cowsham »

Is there anything that can be done to improve the situation?
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NATURAL ANKLING
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Re: Invisible indicators on new cars.

Post by NATURAL ANKLING »

Hi,
Same here I curse every day, riding two wheel means you learn to study anything moving.

All that progress and tech for what.................
But we forget...............they got to use the $%^&£ things first :evil:
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cycle tramp
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Re: Invisible indicators on new cars.

Post by cycle tramp »

Campaign for the return of pop out side indicators? (also known as trafficators) or failing that a return of orange lens, separated from the front head lamp lens? I don't think we will be the only ones asking for a change, we could other organisations involved:-)
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Cowsham
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Re: Invisible indicators on new cars.

Post by Cowsham »

cycle tramp wrote:Campaign for the return of pop out side indicators? (also known as trafficators)


Right on !
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Tangled Metal
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Re: Invisible indicators on new cars.

Post by Tangled Metal »

Also indicators moved away from the corners of cars such that you can no longer see an indicator flashing in your direction from the side.
tim-b
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Re: Invisible indicators on new cars.

Post by tim-b »

Hi
Tangled Metal wrote:Also indicators moved away from the corners of cars such that you can no longer see an indicator flashing in your direction from the side.

MoT failure (link) for cars since 1986
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Re: Invisible indicators on new cars.

Post by PitPony »

Surely this would be a Cycling UK campaign that would be more useful and more achievable (I.e. would cost the government nothing) than some .
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simonineaston
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Re: Invisible indicators on new cars.

Post by simonineaston »

Has anyone noticed or more to the point not noticed indicators on some new cars?
Yes, I have. As has been noted up-thread, the ones that are hardest to spot seem to be those that are nearest - or integrated into - the main lights. However, since the motor industry is tightly regulated from a design & manufacturing point of view, it's a reasonable bet that they all confirm to the reg.s :-(
To be honest, I began to despair when LEDs started to appear in car lights. Brilliant (npi) tho' they are from a driver's point of view (my 'mini' has got them and they're waaay better than any other front lamp I've ever had), at night they can dazzle oncomers in an unpleasant and stressful manner. I shall check to see if the indicator lamps are integrated into the front lamp 'pod', next time I drive anywhere. It will be mildly embarassing if they are...
I've got LED lamps on my bikes, in the form of B&M products, which have sharp beam cutoff so that oncomers don't suffer the same fate. And while I'm on the subject, what is about some cyclists who use strobe front lamps, without any beam control?? Are they so stupid that they haven't worked out they're blinding anyone coming the other way?? Or is it that they simply don't care?? (CUK forum readers are exempt from this remark, on account of being caring, kind and thoughtful, I suppose.)
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flat tyre
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Re: Invisible indicators on new cars.

Post by flat tyre »

Yes! Been caught out a few times. I find the brighter headlamps or daytime running light are dazzling, which makes it more difficult to pick out the flashing indicator.
Pebble
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Re: Invisible indicators on new cars.

Post by Pebble »

I have never been dazzled to any great extent by any cyclist with a flashing front light, they are not even comparable to the retina burning intensity of many DRLs on modern cars, they don't even come close. As a driver I like to see flashing lights on bikes, it identifies them as a cyclist from a greater distance.

As to indicators, I agree with much of the above in that they are often semi hidden by the intensity of the DRL, The other big problem I note is that a lot of drivers just don't bother to indicate, esp on roundabouts.
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