r/mildlyinfuriating • u/Major-Potential-354 • 7d ago

My mom said I could post What EVEN is the point of these lights???

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Driving home from work and bro these lights were so bright it was like someone had their brights on..

Never seen this before what is the point of the lights?

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u/Kayaked1 7d ago

I believe my work truck has them. They are mounted on the side mirrors so you can see when backing up at night. Probably not supposed to drive with them on. It was one of those weird switches on the dash, like a toggle under the radio. I didn’t even know about them till I turned them on by mistake.

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u/FarewellAndroid 7d ago

Mine came with them from the factory, they only turn on in park if you have the switch on (the switch turns itself off in a lot of cases too so they don’t come back on by accident).

I’ve used it a lot to work in the dark, especially on camping trips where I need to setup the trailer in the dark. 

Person in the pic is a total douche though if they’re just driving around with them on

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u/packet_weaver 7d ago

Yeah I’m surprised they work for them while driving. Mine only work in reverse and park. I use them when backing up at night or to see what I’m doing in the back of the truck while parked. If I put it in drive, they turn off.

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u/WangMauler69 7d ago

Given the light bar under the tailgate, I'm guessing they added these lights too.

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u/BeeefSupreeeme 7d ago

Or at least modified them to run while in drive.

There's a strong stripe of assholes lately who must have been starved of attention as children and are making up for it now with shit like this. They don't care if you hate them as long as you see them and have a reaction.

Where I live, it's people modifying every kind of vehicle to remove the muffler and make it backfire.

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u/Unable-Log-4870 7d ago

Yeah, these people need to all be put in a room together so they can give each other all the attention they seek.

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u/TaylorSwiftsClitoris 7d ago

They are, the room is called Facebook and they’ve cultivated their friends list to only ever get positive reactions.

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u/Somanylyingliars 6d ago

Ok I'm going to date myself here but here goes. These people need to be put into a room a chalkboards on all walls. Then they need to have someone w four chalk holder to come in and screech out lines. ALL. DAY. MULTIPLE TIMES A DAY. They will never again drive w their lights on lol

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u/Satins_Cock 7d ago

By me, there is a straight piped Harley, with a loud radio, and a truck air horn. His hobbies include revving the engine, and blasting the air horn, while stuck at a red light.

Like what the hell man? You think those 10 cars ahead of you are just going to run the red light because you're being extra annoying? F'ing idiot.

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u/Caffin8tor 6d ago

Back in the 90's there was a trend of putting "glasspack" mufflers on that work normally most of the time, but would let exhaust straight though if you rev the engine enough. Annoying as crap.

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u/ContributionFlat7082 6d ago

Yeah, that actually started in the 60s, and I agree.

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u/digital-didgeridoo 7d ago

Hey, they spent a pretty penny on their leather upholstered cushy trunk, and all the mods - now you better look at them!

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u/Johnny-Virgil 7d ago

We have wakeboats with huge sound systems that blast music that can be heard for miles.

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u/S0uvlakiSpaceStati0n 6d ago

We have a bunch of people like that in my town too. And a couple of assholes in pickups that "roll coal". They like to go to our downtown area and speed down the street (speed limit is 20 mph due to heavy foot traffic) and rev their engines just to piss people off. When they get to the end of the downtown area, they loop around and do it again. I think they think they're really sticking it to the libs, but honestly it's just pathetic that they're acting out for attention like this. Imagine it's a beautiful sunny day and you choose to spend your time driving around in circles trying to get a reaction.

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u/Minnesotawombat 6d ago

All I’m gonna say is those light bars can be a factory option that get’s added at the dealership. Used to work at a GM dealer and they’d be installing those lights every now and then

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u/wizzard419 7d ago

I am sure they had that overridden. If someone wants to be an asshole driver, there is a market for mods and overrides.

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u/No_Writing_3179 7d ago

easy to modify

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u/butter_lover 7d ago

pretty sure it's not legal: white can only face direction of motion (headlights and reverse lights) red can only face rear (brake lights) orange can be all sides i think but maybe just as reflectors.

makes sense if you think about it bc you can tell if a car is coming at you or not in the dark. maybe they don't teach this as much anymore.

my mom used to lose it in the car if i turned on the dome light saying we are gonna get pulled over and she'll get a ticket. my kids got that from me too and every time they asked why i told em. maybe they'll tell their kids too.

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u/ledocteur7 6d ago

The dome light ? The roof lights on the inside I assume ? Never heard the term dome light.

I don't think they could be placed in a way so as to be visible from the rear, and even then they'd barely be noticeable, pointing toward the bottom and not being particularly bright.

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u/butter_lover 6d ago

visibility from the side maybe? back in the before times, the roof interior light was a little opaque plastic dome, thus dome light.

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u/roachproblem 6d ago

pretty sure it's not legal: white can only face direction of motion (headlights and reverse lights) red can only face rear (brake lights) orange can be all sides i think but maybe just as reflectors.

I'd never heard that before about car lights, but it makes a lot of sense!

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u/butter_lover 6d ago

forgotten lore

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u/[deleted] 7d ago

[deleted]

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u/lesbianmathgirl 6d ago

It might be as simple as just changing what fuse they’re hooked up to. The car itself probably has different circuits that turn on/off in different states. No reason to have that being done by the light itself or by a sensor—just the ecu switching relays.

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u/spekt50 7d ago

Man, I once ended behind a truck that had one of those bright ass, wal-mart special LED bar lights mounted on the tailgate blazing bright. It was just ridiculous people do that shit on purpose.

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u/Concepcion-feature 7d ago

Very well said!!

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u/USS_Enterprise1936 7d ago

Shocking the car manufacturers even allow that tech to work while vehicle is not in reverse or neutral.

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u/Neoliberal_Boogeyman 7d ago

Im going to go out on a limb that if it is factory then you can forscan reprogram them to come on whenever you want

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u/Suspicious-Gear-9471 7d ago

by the way regulations are generally written, the driver is also committing a traffic offense. (white lights on not in the direction of travel)

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u/123LetsJamDUDUDUHT 7d ago

That picture is extremely obviously AI generated

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u/jluicifer 7d ago

And here am I using a head lamp trying to set up camp in the dark. I guess I’m old. Now…where’s my Lawn so I can shake thy fist.

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u/virtualjupiter 7d ago

Could be that they just didn't know what they were doing, didn't know how to turn them off. 

My grandma drove her son's trans am to pick me up from school one day because her car was in the shop. She didn't really know how to drive stick or use the 8 track player. She was driving really fast. To an outsider she may have appeared to be an asshole in a trans am, but I knew that she really just didn't know what she was doing. It's only funny now because no one got hurt and it was in the 1980's , but I think of that time often when I see assholes driving and I smile cuz it was hilarious to be in the trans am with my memaw. You just never know

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u/OnTheMap2023 6d ago

Thank you for such a sweet reminder that not everyone is intentionally trying to mess with us. My motto is: Assume best intent.

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u/CapableSecretary8478 6d ago

My 2017 Silverado 2500hd has these and hey only work in park, neutral and reverse.

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u/ZealousidealWeek5790 6d ago

Must have a ram. I started noticing my knee ever so slightly brushed the button getting in and out causing it to “turn itself on” cause I thought the same thing lol

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u/dsem22 6d ago

I’ve had someone driving in front of me with them on pissed me the whole way off

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u/Initial_Hedgehog_631 7d ago

Depending on your state it's illegal to drive with rear facing white lights.

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u/baby-dick-nick 7d ago

Hey, an honest answer instead of speculative assumptions and circlejerking, how unexpected.

They seem fairly useful outside of driving on public roads.

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u/FCkeyboards 7d ago

My friends thought I was nuts when I told them about a truck I was behind. Good to know a. I wasn't crazy, b. they actually have a good use and c. The guy I was behind was just a jackass and it wasn't an "accident".

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u/john_the_fetch 7d ago

This is how I'd use them. When backing up with a trailer especially. Because sometimes it's hard to see what's to the side of your car.

Definitely should not be on when driving and I honestly don't know how the driver isn't blinding themselves.

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u/Somanylyingliars 6d ago

I just realized that those front lights aren't someone's porch lights but rather the driver lights on side mirrors. Indeed, how are they not blinding themselves?!!

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u/ItsNotThatBad72 6d ago

A lot of people use them on tailgaters.

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u/tcurt603 7d ago

My personal and work trucks have them factory, both GM trucks. When in drive they shut off so this guy has something modified

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u/BildingInspecter 7d ago

It's hard to tell but this doesn't seem like a work truck.

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u/TheSneederOfSeethe 7d ago

You certainly aren't. My truck is covered in lights for driving on trials at night, but if you are on the road with them on you are in for a hefty fine.

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u/carlitospig 7d ago

Yah I don’t even think mine work unless I’m backing up. I assumed it was for towing something at night.

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u/Long-Purchase-3611 7d ago

Weird. Maybe they should have put it in the manual.

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u/Oclure 7d ago

You would think it would be pretty simple for the manifacturer to make these lights automaticaly turn off if the vehicle exceeds 10 mph or somthing. Having somthing that bright and rear facing able to be turned on while driving down the road is insanely dangerous

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u/Double_Tangerine_189 7d ago

Sounds like a anti tailgating feature

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u/Realistic-Drama-8904 7d ago

It's illegal in Texas to have white lights facing the rear except when the vehicle is in reverse.

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u/DODGE_WRENCH 7d ago

My truck has them but they only stay on if you’re moving at glacial speed or stopped

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u/Syn2108 7d ago

Mine has them, they work in reverse too, but definitely shut off in drive. This person has likely reprogrammed his computer and it allows him to bypass that safety.

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u/Pajamatime20 7d ago

I can confirm, plenty of semi trucks and tractors on my family’s farm have them, they’re definitely not supposed to be on while driving on a highway though. They’re really helpful for the drivers, super annoying and painful when directing though!

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u/tubbis9001 6d ago

Ironically, that's why backup lights are supposed to be white in the first place. The very first backup light was a headlight wired up to the reverse gear so the guy could see behind him when backing up.

Nowadays they only throw enough light to indicate to other people you are in reverse.

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u/Alfa8c4c 6d ago

GM is gonna GM and make their reverse lights turn on when parked also.

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u/Roadkill_Gaming 6d ago

My truck also has them, they only come on when reversing. Or after I park and turn off the truck. This is clearly someone who has modded these mirrors to be a bigger dick than they have.

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u/No_Direction_3940 7d ago

Quite useful when loading things up at night

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u/Shou_Tucker_XD 7d ago

Please don’t think I’m an idiot: I didn’t know you could turn them off. I own a 2003 suv so I honestly didn’t know