Car lights...

It's illegal to use fog lights unless it's properly foggy.

Not noticed the missing headlights but do find it unpleasant on the motorways when a car has a headlight which is up in the air and blinding my rear view mirror.

We have the invisible cyclists here too.

Nipsmum surely you realised by now that indicators are an optional extra on many high spec models? BMWs, Audis and Mercs seem to be particularly affected.

Mapleleaf, my car (a 9 year old Volvo), DOES tell me when a low-beam light has failed - I get a message on the dash board. I've no idea whether the same happens if a rear or indicator light goes, as it hasn't happened yet. I imagine there must be plenty of newer marques that have the same function. And, being a Volvo, it has daytime running lights, so no need to remember to turn them on

Loads everywhere between Kent and the North of Scotland, of course no thanks if you mention in to anybody. Its not very good when people who have adjusted their lights to drive on the Continent forget to change them back!

I so agree about Aberdeen! I can't believe how many motorists don't use indicators! It makes my blood boil. Nips mum, we may well be targeting the same people. I hope there are more of us around

Yes, there are a lot of cars with faulty headlights. One reason might be the expense of repairs. It's often not possible to replace bulbs yourself and re-set the beam as you could do in the old days. But of course this is not an excuse.
And don't get me started on cyclists. In my so-called 'cycling city' they are a menace. No lights, dressed in black, speeding on pavements, ignoring traffic signs. Never any prosecutions. Never any police, of course.

Ho, ho,ho. You cannot be serious! Police forces all over the UK have given up doing such 'mundane' tasks for many years because they do not have enough officers and their workload is all about more serious matters.
Traffic officers may take notice if they have nothing else to do but that is rare.
Haven't you noticed we do not see Motorway Cops anymore - they are just after crooks and boy racers.

I've done a 40 mile round trip this evening, both rural and city. I noticed three cars with one light out and one with no lights at all!

Saw two people on mobile phones, too; numbers had been decreasing recently.

Sorry but I'm baffled why anyone would presume having their lights checked as working for an mot means they will be okay for the next few months? All vehicle lights should be checked regularly... just because they work today does not mean they are working tomorrow.
Bulbs can blow at anytime the same as a house bulb can.
Truck drivers that work for a reputable company would not get out the depot gates without completing a full inspection at the start of their daily shift, this includes lights so why should car drivers be any different.

I know; that's why I said I was too complacent....mind you, my car is parked directly in front of my garage so I do tend to see what the beam is like. But I doubt if many of us check our lights on a daily basis [even though we should...].

My other bugbear are the now blinding brake lights. OK they are useful - but sitting for 10 minutes with your foot on the brake waiting for the train to pass???

I'm in East Midlands also. I will check my lights! I suspect our Police are too overworked and thin on the ground to pick up every badly lit vehicle, much as they would like to.

We have decided that as cars are do expensive in Portugal indicators must be an extra cost because so many Portuguese drivers never use indicators. I use them even when there aren't any car around because it's an automatic reflex when about to change direction for me. Several times I have used my indicator to show I turning left into my drive (bearing in mind we drive on the right here) snd some person has come flying down the road and overtaken just as I am about to turn.

We have driven on the motorway and seen someone with no lights on - dark evening and it was raining. We flashed them but no response. We assumed there was a problem with all the lights and drove behind them as far as we could. Same happened to DS too. Frightening!
And as to signalling before turning! Seems to be a dying tradition...

Grandmattie I wonder if the brake lights are due to tier ebwing more automatic cars which require your foot to be on the brake to prevent it from moving and also the new stop/start technology for fuel saving, which also require a foot on the brake.

due to *there being

I carry new light bulbs and tools in my car but to be honest I would not know how to change them myself. My dh can change them so if he was in car it would be OK. I suppose I hope if a bulb went when I was driving alone at night I might find someone who could change it for me. I have also noticed that car light bulbs do not last as long as they used to.