Driving back into Brigg from Scunthorpe after dark last night we met a car coming the other way along the A18 in Bridge Street which was difficult to spot in the gathering gloom because it had a light out.
Clearly we are not the only one to observe these road safety hazards.
Sgt James Main, of Humberside Police, sent out a Twitter message we spotted just a few hours later which read: "Motorists - when did you last check your lights? Lots of one 'eyed' vehicles about. Always ensure your vehicle is roadworthy."
Sound advice from James, who's just gained a national accolade for his work in publicising police issues through social media.
True....and I have been an unintended perpetrator of such - my left headlamp blow just before Christmas and after driving back from Sheffield the other day, someone in the Tesco car-park indicated that my right bulb was out.
ReplyDeleteBoth were replaces asap....but it's no longer a simple job.....bulb replacement often involves getting a hand in a most contorted space, a process, which, itself, means that any removal has to be achieved by feel....and unless one has previous knowledge of whether one pulls, twists, turns, or flicks the related appendages, the so-called simple job can lead to much frustration, obscene language and stomping about!!
Indeed, I had to recruit Andy at Vicarage Motors to change the initial left-hand bulb - which took him seconds!!! (and it was free)
With acquired knowledge that one needed to 'pull' and 'flick' I attempted to changed the right bulb after it blew the other day - it took me about an hour, but that included 2 cups of tea and much medication to my cut fingers!!!
Additionally, in the good old days, it was dead simps to change a rear light bulb - unscrew the lens and replace - replace the lens. Now rear lens' fasteners are concealed - often involving the removal of sections of the internal boot area...and once exposed, one has to decide whether it's then necessary to remove the cross-head screws, or squeeze the plastic lugs to progress to the next stage.
If we accept that having decent and working lights is vital, why have motor manufacturers made the task of changing a light bulb so complicated?
For example, many folks may not have the time to tackle this now over-complicated task and will risk driving about 'one-eyed' until they have a sufficient one-week's holiday, or encounter someone like Andy at Vicarage Motors....