[Radiorail]

I have just watched the following video concerning fines for parking against the Highway Code at night. It raises a number of issues not least that on my Stonic, and I suspect many other Kias, it is not possible to leave the sidelights on to comply with the law as indicated in the video.

After nipping outside and completing a number of sequence scenarios I was able to get the car in the state of DLR/Side lights on and secure the car. Now I will have to RTFM and commit the sequence to memory 🤣😂

The main matter, apart from leaving lights on, is it seems that they need to be on even if in a layby if the adjacent road is above 30 MPH.

Would be interested in others views and if Kia have some explaining to do (in fairness to Kia I suspect all modern cars will fail in the ability to leave lights on a t night)

 

[Alanw47]

I'm not going out to check at this time of night but I'm pretty sure my Xceed has the option of sidelights, but I have never even considered testing it, but if I remember I'll try it in the morning. However I feel that it would have to be a very bitter, twisted and bored Police Officer who dished out a ticket for that, Traffic Police numbers have been decimated across the country and those that are left are too busy. A Verbal Warning is the worst I would expect for that misdemeanour.

However, if it does turn out that sidelights on Kias don't comply with the current legislation then they should do something about it.

 

[Radiorail]

I'm not going out to check at this time of night .........

See my correction above.

There is a sequence of switching that does leave the Stonic DLR/Side lights on and allow locking. Just that I'd never come across it before.

The wider issue is that I suspect few people know that you need to leave the side lights on and (like me) many will not know how to do it! I wonder if those EVs with small auxiliary 12 volt batteries can comply when the car is asleep and the main battery 'off'?

 

[macgd016]

Surprisingly I did know you had to leave your parking lights on at night but I thought it was only where the roads were unlit, perhaps it changed when councils started switching the lights off at midnight.

As to how to do it 🤷‍♂️. In days gone by you switched the side lights on and moved the indicator stalk to the side you wanted it illuminate ( which was odd as you have to be faced in the same direction as the traffic )

 

[iooi]

Alway thought you should only park the same way as traffic is going on your side of the road.
Stops idiots parking with headlights on blinding drivers coming towards them. Causing no end of chaos getting out of the space as they can not safely see.

 

[marjohn56]

Surfing the forum as nothing better to do whilst waiting for others to do their jobs and came across this thread, totally agree with @iooi about parking on the left side of the road in the direction the vehicle is facing as I am also fed up with numpties blinding me, even if it is a designated parking space. Just as a refresher for those of us who have forgotten the code or never knew it, here it is:

248
You MUST NOT park on a road at night facing against the direction of the traffic flow unless in a recognised parking space. Laws CUR reg 101 & RVLR reg 24

249
All vehicles MUST display parking lights when parked on a road or a lay-by on a road with a speed limit greater than 30 mph (48 km/h).
Law RVLR reg 24

250
Cars, goods vehicles not exceeding 1525 kg unladen weight, invalid carriages, motorcycles and pedal cycles may be parked without lights on a road (or lay-by) with a speed limit of 30 mph (48 km/h) or less if they are

at least 10 metres (32 feet) away from any junction, close to the kerb and facing in the direction of the traffic flow
in a recognised parking place or lay-by.
Other vehicles and trailers, and all vehicles with projecting loads,MUST NOT be left on a road at night without lights.
Laws RVLR reg 24 & CUR reg 82(7)

251
Parking in fog. It is especially dangerous to park on the road in fog. If it is unavoidable, leave your parking lights or sidelights on.

 

[Radiorail]

I have always wondered about 249 - given the number of HGVs that park up in laybys on A roads I wonder how many prosecutions have been made?

 

[Alanw47]

I have always wondered about 249 - given the number of HGVs that park up in laybys on A roads I wonder how many prosecutions have been made?

I would hazard a guess at none. I would have thought the Police had many more higher priority problems than unlit lorries in laybys.

 

[fenegroni]

I have just watched the following video concerning fines for parking against the Highway Code at night. It raises a number of issues not least that on my Stonic, and I suspect many other Kias, it is not possible to leave the sidelights on to comply with the law as indicated in the video.

After nipping outside and completing a number of sequence scenarios I was able to get the car in the state of DLR/Side lights on and secure the car. Now I will have to RTFM and commit the sequence to memory 🤣😂

The main matter, apart from leaving lights on, is it seems that they need to be on even if in a layby if the adjacent road is above 30 MPH.

Would be interested in others views and if Kia have some explaining to do (in fairness to Kia I suspect all modern cars will fail in the ability to leave lights on a t night)

What’s the sequence? I don’t remember it being any different from just turning the switch to the correct setting.

 

[mr.macspot]

This is from the 2020 Sportage manual.

 

[fenegroni]

I always did it that way without thinking. I think it was an old Mercedes’ S class prevented the parking side lamps turn switch to work when door was shut.

 

[iooi]

Anyone else remember that leaving indicator stalk set to one side used to leave that side side light on when parked?

 

[marjohn56]

Yes me, think it still does on some, main light switch to sidelights only and the stalk to ether left or right.
I also just about remember indicator stalks that used to pop out from the side, however that was many years before I had a licence.

 

[dave1978]

Yes me, think it still does on some, main light switch to sidelights only and the stalk to ether left or right.
I also just about remember indicator stalks that used to pop out from the side, however that was many years before I had a licence.

They were known as "trafficators" My father had them on a 1935 Morris 8 and then a 1938 Ford 10 ( and they always got a bit gummy and used to rise slowly and then stay half-in and half-out. He got pretty good at reaching round behind his right shoulder through the open window to help them on their way in out out. We thought we w\ere the kings of the road when he bought a 1951 Austin A40 "Devon" - that had FLASHING INDICATORS!

 

[marjohn56]

These:

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picclick.co.uk

I can't remember what model car my father had them on, I remember seeing them on other cars at the time. The first cars I remember him having were a Vauxhall Victor and an Austin A60. After those the ones that stand out were was a mini cooper, MG 1300 and then through to the 70s, a Marina and a very dodgy Hillman Hunter he kept for about 3 weeks and then sold it, I liked it but he said something about it being a death trap.

 

[Crickleymal]

My father had a MG YB saloon up until we moved to the Forest of Dean in 1971. That had trafficators and a clockwork dial in the middle of the steering wheel to set them.
My wife was driving a Morris Minor with trafficators in the 1990s up until she became pregnant and we decided to get a safer car.