I am spending the last fortnight before xmas doing the same rural cross country journey with a return each evening between 1645 and 1845. I began to notice that there seemed to be a lot of one-eyed monsters coming towards me, so tonight I decided to try to keep a count. I can hardly believe the result, this is only a 45 - 50 minute journey and there were 17 vehicles, all of them cars or vans, with one headlight not working! There were probably the same number again with one or both plainly set much too high. I can only make a guess at the total number of vehicles encountered, but I doubt it was more than 200/300 at the most.
I also drive in the sticks where we have a lot of wanabee motorbikes.There are few or no actual police patrols 
.Its not just a matter of changing a bulb simple 20 minute job.What will they do if the other one goes pop.
Funny you should say that as I was on the Warminster bypass last week and an approaching car had his main beam on, I gave him a quick flash but he didn’t dip his so I put mine on main and turned my head away slightly, sure enough he dipped but had only one sidelight working!
He then put his main beam back on obviously in the mistaken belief that I’d sympathise with him and not put mine back on main once I’d realised his problem.
WRONG!
It’s frustrating that there are no traffic police about to stop them.
On the other side of the coin, I was coming home from Accrington tonight, towards Oldham, and between Pilsworth and Simister Island, I passed a White unmarked DAF Tractor unit running solo, with the whole of it’s rear O/S lights out in the pitch black. How did the driver not notice this on his pre trip inspection. On the N/S/R lights there are two side lights on the cluster, so he I don’t think he has an excuse .
roughyed:
It’s frustrating that there are no traffic police about to stop them.On the other side of the coin, I was coming home from Accrington tonight, towards Oldham, and between Pilsworth and Simister Island, I passed a White unmarked DAF Tractor unit running solo, with the whole of it’s rear O/S lights out in the pitch black. How did the driver not notice this on his pre trip inspection. On the N/S/R lights there are two side lights on the cluster, so he I don’t think he has an excuse .
How did you manage to not collide with such a poorly lit vehicle? . . . . oh the drama.
roughyed:
It’s frustrating that there are no traffic police about to stop them.On the other side of the coin, I was coming home from Accrington tonight, towards Oldham, and between Pilsworth and Simister Island, I passed a White unmarked DAF Tractor unit running solo, with the whole of it’s rear O/S lights out in the pitch black. How did the driver not notice this on his pre trip inspection. On the N/S/R lights there are two side lights on the cluster, so he I don’t think he has an excuse .
Could be a fuse issue and the bulbs were ok. A fuse can blow after he’d checked it over.
Aaah, yes, my number one top-of-the-list pet hate. I’ve got another name for them though.
Next time you’re counting, see how many are French - you’ll be amazed; they don’t seem to be able to make a bulb that lasts longer than a week!
I must say, though, that some headlight bulbs can be a nightmare to change - ever tried a Focus NS? Or a VW Sharan?
So if you cant change a bulb yourself take it into Halfrauds and get them to do it, with a lot of luck they may even change the one that’s out …
Has it ever occurred to you that it might have blown on the journey! My headlight bulb blew on the way home from work tonight so tomorrow I will pop to Halfords to buy a bulb and fit it before it gets dark. I don’t need the headlight nazis thinking I do it on purpose so they can moan about something else FFS
Oh BTW it is a crap French car, a Peugeot and the NSA bulb went only two weeks ago. If you want to have a go at someone blame the French!!
This has been properly getting on my wick for a couple of months now. It’s not the ones with 1 headlight out that bother me, it’s the complete ■■■■-ends that have them, as you say, 1 or both aimed WAY too high - or, have 1 out so drive with the other one on full beam, or use their fog lights instead, etc.
And yes, where are all the bloody cops? They could wipe out the UKs deficit in about a week with all the £50 fines they could dish out.
As for it blowing on the journey. What, all of them■■? Naw. They are simply lazy ■■■■■■■■ that can’t either be ■■■■■■ spending 10 minutes changing the bulb, or are too thick to do it themselves and don’t want to pay someone else to do it.
Im not exactly the most mechanically minded of people, but if I can make the effort to keep my car in a condition that it doesn’t cause an inconvenience and/or danger to other road users, then I expect others to do the same.
I think its great, this game keeps me awake when im driving along the M6 at night…car or motorbike ?..car or motorbike ?.. 
followed a ■■■ in a car las night who despite people telling him still was happy to run with front running lights on no rear or anything else.
mind you i did notice his dash lights were all lit up which i think is a bad idea.
cargocargocargo:
I must say, though, that some headlight bulbs can be a nightmare to change - ever tried a Focus NS? Or a VW Sharan?
I changed from a megane to a focus and by comparison I’d say it was ■■■■ easy mate
I feel running with a headlight out is providing a service. It gives people an opportunity to moan about it on forums. You’re welcome*.
*My n/s headlight has been out for a couple of weeks, I’ve got a spare and I’ll get round to changing it when I can be arsed. If I get stopped its only just gone and I’m looking for a safe place to change it for the spare I have in the centre console officer.
People who use their front foglights in clear conditions annoy me, what is the reason for that I wonder.
098Joe:
People who use their front foglights in clear conditions annoy me, what is the reason for that I wonder.
They are idiots !!
French bulbs mmm I,ve never seen one
though my French car used to eat my Hungarian bulbs
like no ones business
098Joe:
People who use their front foglights in clear conditions annoy me, what is the reason for that I wonder.
They want to be like 99% of the National Distress Coach drivers. They seem to favour their fog lights all the time now (and it’s not DRL that I see on)
cargocargocargo:
Aaah, yes, my number one top-of-the-list pet hate. I’ve got another name for them though.Next time you’re counting, see how many are French - you’ll be amazed; they don’t seem to be able to make a bulb that lasts longer than a week!
I must say, though, that some headlight bulbs can be a nightmare to change - ever tried a Focus NS? Or a VW Sharan?
Focus was easier removing the headlight - only 4 bolts.
Renault Meganes were the worst, an “inspection slot” in the wheel arch about the size of a credit card, or take the front bumper off!
just a little note if you do get the idiots in halfords to change your bulb then fine …
from the number of bulbs ive changed after they have been to halfords and they have either dropped the bulb in the headlight… dont know how they manage it tho … or for them to say they can not change it as the head light wont come out or the bumper has to be moved forward to get light out …or for them to put the WRONG bulb in and say it ok ffs…