The Car Thread

[Tredman]

You can set ABRP to only use open to all Tesla chargers.

 

[Wolf Hunting]

Oh! didn't know that.
However its a moot point now as my Golf is cheaper for one fill and faster for one stop.
Though I appreciate your help on this, but its the return leg when I'm heading for a ferry which I have to catch, so can't be messing around if there's a problem with a charger.

 

[lemonjelly]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp3e0xyyldvo

quite frightening how much more likely people are to suffer significant damage if hit by an SUV. Kids being 82% more likely to be killed is frightening!

 

[Tredman]

I was probably one of these road warriors for a few years early in my career. Reading this just it occurred to me that it has mostly died. A good thing, but I do miss being uncontactable for large portions of the day.

https://www.economist.com/britain/2025/09/27/british-men-are-driving-less-and-a-culture-is-vanishing

 

[Wolf Hunting]

Was a bit concerned my 1 litre petrol Golf would be up to a long hard drive.
Home to Rosslare 3 hours most of it motorway 120kmphr
Bilbao to Torrevieja 11 hours nearly all motorway 120 Kmph (3 stops)
Torrevieja to Bilbao 11 hours nearly all motorway 120 Kmph (3 stops)
Bilbao to St Jean de Luz (France ) 2 hours 100 kmph
St Jean de Luz to La Rochelle 4 hours 100 all the way.
La Rochelle to Roscoff 5 hours 100 and 120 kmph
Roscoff to Cherbourg 4.6 hours 120 most of the way
Rosslare to home 3 hours 120 part way.
Absolutely not a bit of bother. Terrific little car.
Great engine.

 

[lemonjelly]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c62l18lnd47o

I'd be in favour of this tbh. In Birmingham, pavement parking is becoming quite an issue. There are all types of vehicles on pavements. It's really bad in some areas.

They're also cutting a load of speed limits on main roads from 40 to 30 here. But it'll never be enforced, so is pretty meaningless.

Some drivers round here are ridiculous in how inconsiderate and dangerous they are.

 

[sycophantia]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c62l18lnd47o

I'd be in favour of this tbh. In Birmingham, pavement parking is becoming quite an issue. There are all types of vehicles on pavements. It's really bad in some areas.

They're also cutting a load of speed limits on main roads from 40 to 30 here. But it'll never be enforced, so is pretty meaningless.

Some drivers round here are ridiculous in how inconsiderate and dangerous they are.

Parking on the pavement is already illegal, always has been hasn't it?
Obviously it's widely ignored so just needs enforcing.

 

[lemonjelly]

Parking on the pavement is already illegal, always has been hasn't it?
Obviously it's widely ignored so just needs enforcing.

No, only outlawed in London & Scotland I believe.

 

[Keef]

Tbh one of the best ways to stop pavement parking is damage the cars, as soon as it starts costing owners money they stop doing it.
Failing that these are a good option, put them in the drivers eyeline so they can’t drive off, various sizes ( 2 foot is a good size), reflective, super super sticky takes 30-45 mins to scrape off so everyone can see what you did while you’re getting rid of them, available online

 

[leedswolf]

No, only outlawed in London & Scotland I believe.

Unless there's local restrictions.

 

[sycophantia]

Unless there's local restrictions.

Also if you're causing an obstruction., which you al ost certainly will be.

 

[leedswolf]

Plug-in hybrids pollute almost as much as petrol cars, report finds

Analysis of 800,000 European cars found real-world pollution from plug-in hybrids nearly five times greater than lab tests

www.theguardian.com

 

[Tyrannosaurus Dan]

At the age of 45 years, 2 months and 16 days, I have finally passed my driving test!

 

[lemonjelly]

This is good news, however the problem will be so many cars on the road with headlights that are problematic for other road users for such a lengthy period of time, as I can't see how they can address the issue of existing cars, unless adaptations are mandated?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn971jlpvvro

 

[Wolf Hunting]

This is good news, however the problem will be so many cars on the road with headlights that are problematic for other road users for such a lengthy period of time, as I can't see how they can address the issue of existing cars, unless adaptations are mandated?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn971jlpvvro

I was being driven home in a friends top of the range VW something or other and it was fitted with a clever LED Matrix headlight set up.
We were on a dark country road and his lights were on full and really went a long way, very bright, but when a car approached in the distance his lights reacted brilliantly!
A little shield slides across his right hand headlight, and the right hand side of the road was virtually in darkness, but the left side was still fully lit! Absolutely no dazzle for the oncoming car at all!
Wonder how much that bit of kit costs?

 

[Tredman]

Its not a shield, its lots of small directional lights, called matrix lights, which can be individually turned on and off. It was included as standard in my VW.

 

[jlo]

This is good news, however the problem will be so many cars on the road with headlights that are problematic for other road users for such a lengthy period of time, as I can't see how they can address the issue of existing cars, unless adaptations are mandated?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn971jlpvvro

Was driving in France earlier this year and learnt you need headlight beam deflectors. Cheap and easy solution

 

[AndyWolves]

This is good news, however the problem will be so many cars on the road with headlights that are problematic for other road users for such a lengthy period of time, as I can't see how they can address the issue of existing cars, unless adaptations are mandated?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn971jlpvvro

i just got me some filtered lenses to try to help with this

 

[EpsomWolf]

Can remember driving in France when all cars had yellow headlights. Several reasons for that of course but one was they were supposed to reduce dazzle. Always thought they were pretty cool but tbf was at a time when driving abroad felt pretty exotic.

Seems pretty odd though that the law is allowing a technological advancement through that is creating a real problem.

 

[leedswolf]

Can remember driving in France when all cars had yellow headlights. Several reasons for that of course but one was they were supposed to reduce dazzle. Always thought they were pretty cool but tbf was at a time when driving abroad felt pretty exotic.

Seems pretty odd though that the law is allowing a technological advancement through that is creating a real problem.

Yellow headlights also reduced light reflection in fog. I can remember as a child my dad fixing a yellow filter on his car headlights when it was foggy. These were still used into the 60s.Also the yellow wrappers on lucozade bottles were also used as a temporary fix...




Also fitted "foglights'" on vehicles had a yellow tint...