I love a good rant. Today’s will be about brake lights.
I’ve nothing against them, obviously. They’re plainly a total necessity and highly valuable. A good bright red light to show others you’re slowing from a good distance away. Massively useful on a motorway (you look as far ahead as possible, right?). Massively useful on every other road too.
However.
Their brightness is also the reason for this rant. It seems a lot of people, when waiting in a jam, keep their foot on the brake. This is terribly convenient for them - as soon as the light changes they can be off. No trouble.
But. It’s not very pleasant for the person behind. And that person often seems to be me. Last night I had to put my sunvisor down because the sodding things in front of me were so bright. It’s like having a zillion candle power torch pointed directly into your eyeballs. With a red filter. Feel the burn. On the retina. Ridiculous.
So, lazy fckers. Take the car out of gear and *use the handbrake. Your standard lights are perfectly bright enough at night, thanks. I don’t need what looks like a triplet of stuck lighthouses (one with a three foot wide beam, the others laser like in the focus) in a dodgy area of town beamed at me all the damn time we’re sitting still.
And. Car manufacturers, I blame you too. What is with this poxy trend of electronic handbrakes? You push a button and the brake comes on. But only when you’re in neutral (they’ve been for automatics, manuals sadly on the way out it seems). If you’re not in neutral you can push the button but as soon as the car starts to creep forwards (as slushmatics will) the handbrake releases itself. I’ve test-driven a couple of cars now where the salesperson recommended I keep my foot on the brake at the lights. I felt ashamed. I wanted to apologise to the person behind. I hate that.
Another car I’ve driven has an electronic handbrake you release by driving off. That’s horrid too.
That’s going to be a question I need answering when I eventually test drive the Tesla X. How can I keep the car safely still whilst not blinding the people behind me?
Ah, that’s better. Rant over. For now.