Need car light-to-right-45degrees (walkers, dark coats, walking home from train)

[David Combs]

Damn near hit someone last night while going to train to get my wife;

Because prior train's passengers walking home at 5:45pm, invariably dressed in black-seeming suits and long-coats, ie 100% invisible, since car lights point straight ahead.

Any ideas for lighting up BROADLY across the front, especially to the RIGHT (so doesn't blind oncoming traffic)?

But invisible people also exist to the LEFT, like when crossing the road from left to right. That light, I suppose, should, be pointed more downward, to avoid blinding oncoming car-traffic.

[Mark Storkamp]

Sounds like you're talking about corning lamps:

I don't see them as much as I used to, but I did happen to notice them on a car just two nights ago, so maybe they're making a comeback.

[Art Todesco]

Fog lights sometimes provide some side lighting, if you have them. On my old Trailblazer, it does a pretty good job.

[IGot2P]

I am not suggesting that you purchase a new vehicle to solve the problem but I have noticed something interesting. On the 2014 KIA Cadenza the headlights change with the speed that you are going. When you are going slow they show a wide broad beam (more to the side) but as you speed up they change and narrow the beam and shoot it out further ahead. They also turn and point around curves when you are turning. Actually, I have one and the feature is really neat.

Don

[Nightcrawler®]

I put some on one of my sport trucks, back in the 80's. Winding, mountain roads at a higher than posted speed gives one a need to see the giant, antlered rats at an angle normal headlights do not cover.

A trip to the local parts store and a self install, or a few hundred, plus cost of quality lights, and a custom install.

[gregz]

Good fog lights give off side light to see the edge of the road better. Some lights billed as fog lights don't have the filament shield, so they blind.

My main lights hit the right side of the road edge.

Greg

[Robert Green]

The problem is two-pronged. People who walk or bike on dark roadways (and even fairly well-lit ones) need to have something reflective. Not sure how you educate those at risk. My dog's new collar is reflective and I am thinking of switching from a retractable leash to a nylon one that's also got reflective treatment. Like you, I have been unpleasantly surprised by encountering someone dressed like a Ninja suddenly darting into my vehicle's path as if I could see them as well as they could see me.

Not exactly sure what people would be willing to wear with reflective stripes attached, but I'll bet the answer would be "anything!" after they've been hit by a car in the dark. Just last night I saw a bike that had small snippets of reflective tape wrapped around the tubing at strategic points so that you could clearly make out the silhouette of a bicycle at quite a distance. Very nicely done and I intend to steal the idea.

[Dean Hoffman]

Under the nothing new under the sun category is the Tucker. It had a center headlight that turned with the front wheels. Article here:

[Ashton Crusher]

The police generally have spotlights. Not sure if that's a good solution for normal driving. I'd just add some "driving" lights and aim them where you want them.

[Nate Nagel]

The inner lights on newer BMWs are cornering lights, not high beams.

But... to have something on all the time, fog lights are probably the best bet. But turn them off when you get out of a city area; the excess foreground light is bad for your night vision and paradoxically has the odd effect of tricking your brain into thinking that you can see better than you actually can.

nate