Was at a 100k T intersection the other day, sun over my right shoulder and was waiting to turn right. I looked to my right and the car coming towards me had it's left indicator on, I looked left and there were no cars coming, looked right again and the car still had it's indicator on so I started to pull out.
Instinct took over and I stopped pulling into the intersection, the car coming towards me light appeared to be on constantly and they weren't slowing down to turn at intersection. WTF I wondered (I expect they did too) then I noticed the design of the front headlight assembly. (I checked one out later at a customers to see if I was right).
It was one of the new Mazda 3's and someone has stuffed up majorly and I expect it will cost lives.
The headlight and indicator are in a cluster in the middle of the light assembly. The ploycarb outer is nicely designed to sweep up over the crest of the guard. Under the outer is a orange reflective section similar to the red brake reflector material. Where I was the sunlight reflected off the orange making it look like a lit indicator. The first time I looked the car went through a shaded patch making it look like the indicator was flashing.
Has anyone else had a similar experience!
clark20,
May 8, 6:08am
Yep, with another car that went past a row of trees, it really looked like it was flashing. It's called ghost light (like ghost chips.)
tonyrockyhorror,
May 8, 6:41am
I don't leave a terminating road unless they are either actually turning or slowing in such a way as they are certain to turn or are far enough away that they cannot possibly collect me even if they change their mind and go straight.
a.woodrow,
May 8, 6:44am
I usually ignore the turn signals and look at the driver. you see where they are going by where they are looking
motorboy2011,
May 8, 6:45am
I had similar, I was only 17, on my 1st motorbike and got to an intersection, car was indicating so I pulled out, it JUST missed me, I went nuts at her, she wen nuts at me.few weeks later a girl on a push bike did the exact same at the same time, and got hit (I saw it all, she went over the roof). It turned out on the corner was picket fence, in the low morning sun the light shone through it and on the sides of the cars, looked like their indicators were on!
johnf_456,
May 8, 7:19am
Yep never trust indicators, always make sure especially while driving in auckland!
henderson_guy,
May 8, 7:29am
Not the same, but I find late model cars with the clear indicator lenses in front VERY hard to see in direct sunlight when they are coming around a roundabout, I don't know if it's the angle or what but I just can't see them!
barrie2,
May 8, 3:44pm
#3 agree. however never a problem in Rotorua as not many drivers use indicators - unless indicating wrongly at roundabouts.
modie61,
May 8, 7:40pm
I agree Mazda 3 and late model Toyota wagons are hard to spot the indicators on. It was better when the indicators were in the bumper down lower,i bet the above cars were designed for the USA !
sifty,
May 8, 10:19pm
yep, I ride bikes, never trust an indicator (or lack thereof).
richardmayes,
May 8, 10:36pm
I don"t like a lot of current cars that have the indicator within the main semi-sealed headlight unit - makes it @##$ hard to see an indicator that actually IS flashing, when the headlights are on.
esprit,
May 8, 10:59pm
MkIV Golfs are terrible for this. Their headlights are like this (O8O) where the top loop of the "8" is the indicator, the bottom loop is the park light and each "O" is a headlight beam (one main, one dip). When their headlights are on, you CAN NOT see the indicator as you're staring into either one or two massive beams of light.
richardmayes,
May 9, 12:08am
Yeah I know the ones you mean. The lights look beautiful when they're switched off, and the car is parked in some super minimalist architectural showroom that looks like something out of a European design magazine.
.a lot of ordinary Jappers are going the same way with their lights now though.
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