Toyota yaris hybrid - no reversing light in cluster.

[anchorman]

The light on my Cross was plenty good enough but not wanting to stray too far off topic but these Lexus ones are superb so it can be done.  

[YarisHybrid2016]

Pre-facelift Mk.3 has a single reverse light in the lower part of the bumper. Was utterly useless for visual reversing, but great for the camera.

[hortigirl]

Thank you FLASH22. I agree that reversing lights are to be seen with. That’s why I am unhappy about having NONE on either of the clusters.  Several replies mention having only one on the near side.  I have NONE.  This is dangerous for other road  users esp. pedestrians.  Just recently a car behind me was waiting for me to move off but I wanted to reverse.  My car was in reverse gear but as there was no light showing how were they to know that?  

The dealer service people say the Yaris hybrid has only one big light below the bumper.  What use is that if a car is  directly behind you in traffic because they can’t see it.!!!

[FROSTYBALLS]

As regards reversing lights, either one or two should be fitted. Like rear fog lights, if one is fitted, that can be to the nearside or central.

There is no legal requirement to have the reversing light(s) as part of the main rear light cluster.

 

[flash22]

The MK4 only has 1 reverse light in the middle of the bumper, poor design on Toyota's part but its within the type approval for the location

[MikeSh]

4 hours ago, hortigirl said:

the Yaris hybrid has only one big light below the bumper.  What use is that if a car is  directly behind you in traffic because they can’t see it.!!!

They are numpties for pulling up so close. Roads are full of them unfortunately.

[Cyker]

I don't think there's anything wrong with the placement on the Mk4 - I like that it's in the middle rather than the lop-sided look you get in most cars where it's only on one side, and it's bright enough to clearly illuminate the view of the reversing camera at night.

The only way the person behind wouldn't be able to see if is if they were so close you probably wouldn't be able to see their headlights, but there's not much you can do about tailgaters apart from leave more space in front so you don't have to stop suddenly - Actually that saved my backside on the M1 on the way home today, as the cars ahead all suddenly stopped and there was the inevitable collision as eventually someone couldn't brake in time. Meanwhile I had a nice controlled stop because I could see what was happening and, using my brain, let the gap build as everyone in front shot off only to slam their brakes on again, while I was managing the tailgating smeg pot behind me. I was half hoping they'd overtake me and crash into the car in front when it slammed on its brakes, but they instead started leaving a bigger gap after they saw the crash, so there is hope even these idiots can learn!  

Why would you want to reverse in traffic anyway??

[MikeSh]

42 minutes ago, Cyker said:

Why would you want to reverse in traffic anyway??

When the vehicle in front isn't 'going', for whatever reason, and you need to go around it.

But then you would be the numpty that hadn't left enough space between you and said vehicle for you to pull around it without it without reversing.

Being 2m closer to the vehicle in front in a queue won't get you there any faster - but they don't teach science much these days ... people learn it on the fly from twitter, tik-tok, etc.

[Cyker]

My driving instructor traumatically drilled the Tarmac and Tyres! TARMAC AND TYRES!!! visual reference into me so I always stop where I can still see tarmac and tyres   

It does work - Most recently where the car in front stopped too close to a bus on one of those really stupid bus stops where TFL have removed the layby so the bus now has to stop in the middle of the road and block up the road. Anyway, guy in front was too close and couldn't pull out, but thanks to TARMAC AND TYRES!!! I just checked it was clear and nipped round them both  

[MikeSh]

2 hours ago, Cyker said:

those really stupid bus stops where TFL have removed the layby

If you consider it from the POV of deterring car drivers from using certain roads it's not at all stupid.

Disclaimer: I have a senior citizen's bus pass, so maybe a little biased 😗

[Cyker]

I'd understand if these were side roads, but most side roads wouldn't have space for a layby anyway; The place they're doing this is on major trunk roads! It literally makes no sense!

The most egregious example is a road that used to be 4 lanes wide - 2 up, 2 down.

They removed the outer lane in both directions, and turned it into a cycle lane, and then where there were bus stop laybys, they filled them in and built them out *through* the new cycle lane!  

So, not only does the bus have to stop in the middle of the road, where it used to be able to pull into a layby and clear the way, cyclists now have to cycle *through* where all the people would be standing to get onto the bus!

Most cyclists jump out of the cycle lane into the road to avoid crashing into waiting pedestrians (which is a whole separate problem for cars when those cyclists suddenly swerve out of the cycle lane into the road with no warning  ), but when there's a bus in the way they can't even do that - It's just utterly idiotic, but as usual my complaints and concerns fell on deaf ears (or blind eyes in the case of the e-mails).

 

[MikeSh]

It's another variant of traffic calming essentially. They've done similar in Southampton. The fact that you have complained is probably an indication that it's working - slowing you down as intended - so you've made 'them' happy.

For the cycles vs pedestrians thing it's just a case of both being thoughtless, but I do know (some) councils are trying to reduce the sharing of ways by foot and pedal traffic.

There will always be unintended consequences with these types of scheme and sometimes they get amended or reverted after a year or two.

[Cyker]

That does seem to be the case - My arguments about the increased danger, from e.g. cars trying to go around the bus, cycles jumping out of the cycle lane, cycles trying to go round the bus, cycles going through the pedestrians etc. were just dismissed.

[MikeSh]

3 hours ago, Cyker said:

My arguments about the increased danger

But you recognise the dangers and probably adapt, as will most others. There are many accidents where passengers from buses are hit crossing the road near the bus.

The overall result of this change is that probably few cars will be travelling fast around those buses, so even if a few more incidents happen they will be lower speed and therefore less serious. A few broken limbs a year vs one or two fatalities is probably considered a good result.

[Cyker]

TBH people don't generally cross the roads around the busses, that's not really an issue and I don't think anybody's too worried about them as the road is full of old well-placed zebra crossings; The main danger is going round the bus unsighted into an oncoming car/motorbike/cyclist - The bus creates a lot of impatience from people trying to get to work which increases risk taking; This is just how it works because drivers are people and not robots. It's rare but not uncommon for someone in e.g. a high-powered merc or range rover to overtake all the cars in front and the bus because they've become so enraged by driving at 15mph and stopping so frequently.

But I'm not sold on this theory of making roads 'safer' by making them more 'dangerous'. It's just overloading drivers and there'll be a tipping point eventually, and by then it'll be too late to reverse all the changes.

 

[bathtub tom]

9 hours ago, Cyker said:

TBH people don't generally cross the roads around the busses, that's not really an issue and I don't think anybody's too worried about them as the road is full of old well-placed zebra crossings; The main danger is going round the bus unsighted into an oncoming car/motorbike/cyclist

I'll dispute that. How often do you see folk crossing the road a few yards from a crossing?

In my motorcycling teens, I was passing a stopped bus when a pedestrian stepped out. Fortunately I was going quite slow and was able to stop almost immediately. Unfortunately, he walked into my left handlebar as I pulled in the clutch. Think about how high handlebars are and the male physique. He let out an ear piercing scream and collapsed onto the ground. I parked the 'bike and along with others went to his aid, I was thinking the impact wasn't that bad. When he could speak again (in a high-pitched voice), he apologised and thanked me for stopping so quickly and exonerated me of all blame.

[MikeSh]

12 hours ago, Cyker said:

The main danger is going round the bus unsighted into an oncoming car/motorbike/cyclist

Exactly. Hence the desire for traffic calming.

 

12 hours ago, Cyker said:

the road is full of old well-placed zebra crossings

Nobody gets hit on those by fast moving cars then?

This is obviously a busy urban area, even though it may be a trunk road as you describe it, so almost anything that reduces speeds and maybe the amount of traffic is going help safety.

[Cyker]

5 hours ago, MikeSh said:

Exactly. Hence the desire for traffic calming.

No, sorry, but traffic calming for a problem *created* by the traffic calming is exactly the kind of BS I am highly opposed to - That scenario is an issue CREATED by the changes - Previously it was a complete non-issue; This sort of thing is the point I'm making!

 

5 hours ago, MikeSh said:

Nobody gets hit on those by fast moving cars then?

This is obviously a busy urban area, even though it may be a trunk road as you describe it, so almost anything that reduces speeds and maybe the amount of traffic is going help safety.

I've never heard of it happening, it's certainly very uncommon - As I said the zebra crossings are well placed and even well lit, and there are plenty of sensibly strategic traffic calming items placed in the vicinity in the form of e.g. speed humps.

If anything, I would have said the previous measures achieved near-peak safety...ness...(?) - The new changes have eroded that and made it net worse for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians.

IMHO the changes are a perfect example of things done by people who can't leave well enough alone.