DRIVING down the A1M on a dark, misty and rainy night, I was overtaken by a dark-coloured car. However, lights were showing at the front but then the car disappeared into the mirk because it had no rear lights at all.

This is the first sign of 'numptiness'. The belief that so-called 'driving lights', automatically turn on the rear lights. Some cars have this feature BUT others definitely do not, rendering them invisible in mist, darkness and rain.

The next sign of 'numptiness' is the belief that the first click of the light column turns on the required lights, (Rule 113, 114 and 115 Highway Code), when in fact quite often it only turns on the parking lights. This means the car is travelling in the dusk or dark with one small light on at the front and rear, thus emulating a motor cycle but twice the width.

Then we have the deliberate 'dipped light adjuster'. They crank up the dip light angle so they don't have to keep switching between dipped and main beam and are happily blinding everyone they meet in the dark. There's also the fog light blinders who drive for ages after the fog has disappeared happily blinding those in front and behind with piercing lights.

I even managed to pull one driver over only to find the 'numpty' had no idea he actually had fog lights. I've not even mentioned the one headlight brigade or the 'no main beam' drivers who have to sit close behind you as they otherwise can't see enough to drive. Get it fixed.

Driving at night is fraught with danger at the best of time but these people are making our roads much less safe, so check your lights.

Raymond Duffy

Ingleton