hood@homxa.UUCP (R.HOOD) (03/15/85)
Here's a question for you road-wise netters. While I was working for a telephone company in Oregon it was company policy to have the car headlights on whenever the vehicle was being driven. The theory behind this was that it makes the car more visible and less likely to be involved in an accident. It seems to make good sense, so I adopted it as a personal driving habit also. Since moving to New Jersey last year I have continued to drive with my headlights on, but I find that it seems to disturb the natives. On a good day I can get upwards of 4 flashes (headlights only) per mile from oncomming drivers. I even have pedestrians wave, point, and shout at me. Some of these people actually seem offended. So whats the problem. Is there some local custom I don't know about? Is it illegal? Immoral? I've also noticed a large number of people who drive at night with only the parking lights on - perhaps they are conserving energy. It could be that by needlessly using my headlights I offend these energy conscious Easterners and they are trying to convert me to their conservationalist ways. Any comments? Ron
ark@alice.UUCP (Andrew Koenig) (03/16/85)
Until it became illegal in New Jersey last year, my practice was to turn on my parking lights just about when the sun set, and defer turning on the headlights until they would actually do some good -- in other words, when the area became darker than the relatively feeble beam from the headlights. My theory in doing this was that parking lights alone would make my car much more visible, but why bother with headlights unless they're needed? Now the law is that headlights must be on no later than half an hour past sunset, so I turn them on just about at sunset.
stern@inmet.UUCP (03/20/85)
[]
In most states the regulation is: headlights on from 1/2 hour before
sunset to 1/2 hour after sunrise. I beleive the reasoning behind this
is to encourage people to put their headlights on before the twilight
period, when it can get dark pretty quickly without you really noticing
it (if you are driving). During the evening twilight your eyes adjust
to the darkness quickly, and you may not think you need your headlights
on because it doesn't look "all that dark". If you were to go inside
just before the twilight, and then come out twenty minutes later, you'd
put your lights on when you hopped in the car.
The law in NJ was 1/2 hour before and after for a long time (it was when I
took my driving test years ago). Many states also have pretty bizarre
regulations about driving with parking lights on, or with fog lights on,
without having your headlights on.
As for driving with your headlights on during the day, I was always
under the impression that you should keep your headlights *off* unless
the weather was pretty foul. I don't think leaving them on all day
increases the visibility of your car, unless it is dark to begin with.
As far as I know, the only people who drive with headlights on during
the day are: funeral processions, police on the chase, volunteer firemen/
rescue squadders on their way to a call, or someone warning you about
a speed trap down the road (quick flashes of the lights). Better to
leave the "daytime headlights" for those situations that really require
it.
--Hal Stern
{ihnp4, harpo, bellcore, ima}!inmet!sterngin@spp2.UUCP (Mike Gin) (03/20/85)
I, personally, don't drive with my headlights on during the daytime,
but I'm sure that it certainly wouldn't hurt from a safety standpoint.
Here's one case in point:
There's a highway in central California (California 152) which has
become one of the most accident-prone highways in the state. The
statistics became so bad that, a few years ago, the state decided
to require that all vehicles traveling on that road (day or night)
have their headlight turned on. I don't have any detailed figures,
but apparently, this practice has dramatically reduced the number of
accidents that occur on that road.
--
Mike Gin TRW-DSG
{ucbvax, decvax}!trwrb!trwspp!spp2!gin
ucbvax!lbl-csam!trwspf!trojanphil@osiris.UUCP (Philip Kos) (03/21/85)
In Missouri, the law says headlights on from .5 hour *after* sunset to .5 hour *before* sunrise. This is because there's still a lot of light for about half an hour after the sun actually goes down, and similarly for before the sun comes up. In both Illinois and Missouri, it is ILLEGAL to drive with just your parking lights on. Phil Kos The Johns Hopkins Hospital
hsu@cvl.UUCP (Dave Hsu) (03/22/85)
> > While I was working for a telephone company in Oregon it was company policy > to have the car headlights on whenever the vehicle was being driven. The > theory behind this was that it makes the car more visible and less likely > to be involved in an accident. It seems to make good sense, so I adopted > it as a personal driving habit also. > > Since moving to New Jersey last year I have continued to drive with my > headlights on, but I find that it seems to disturb the natives. On > a good day I can get upwards of 4 flashes (headlights only) per mile > from oncomming drivers. I even have pedestrians wave, point, and shout > at me. Some of these people actually seem offended. I don't know what the problem is in New Jersey; driving with headlights on in the daytime usually indicates that you are attending a funeral. > I've also noticed a large number of people who drive at night with only > the parking lights on - perhaps they are conserving energy. It could be > that by needlessly using my headlights I offend these energy conscious > Easterners and they are trying to convert me to their conservationalist > ways. Any comments? What conservationist ways? In Maryland, it is in fact ILLEGAL to drive with your parking lights on (as it is with your hazard flashers), but there is some sort of distinction made that allows you to drive with your running lights on. Now, since my car only has two stops on the light, I've had a hard time finding out exactly what constitutes running lights. My driver's ed instructor didn't know, neither did the county cop nor the state trooper know. So I ask you this: where are my running lights? -dave
devine@asgb.UUCP (Robert J. Devine) (03/22/85)
> Research shows that cars with their headlights on have an accident > rate about 30% lower than cars without (during the daytime, of course). I would be doubtful of any strict causal link here. If the driver was thoughtful enough to switch on the headlights, it sounds like they (attempt at non-sexist pronoun) are more likely to be a careful driver. Bob
iles@hplabs.UUCP (03/22/85)
Research shows that cars with their headlights on have an accident rate about 30% lower than cars without (during the daytime, of course). It is illegal in some states to drive with parking lights on, but never illegal to drive with your headlights on. They are starting to consider making cars like motorcycles, i.e., the headlights will be on whenever the motor is on (or is it when the ignition is switched on?). Dan
seifert@mako.UUCP (Snoopy) (03/24/85)
In article <190@osiris.UUCP> phil@osiris.UUCP (Philip Kos) writes: >In both Illinois and Missouri, it is ILLEGAL to drive with just your >parking lights on. *If* this is true, would someone in Ill-noise do me a favor and issue tickets to all those pigs driving around with just their "parking" lights on? But really, people, this was all beaten to death a few months ago. Perhaps it is time to split up net.auto into: net.auto.advice.which-econobox-should-i-buy? net.auto.advice.my-foobar-is-broken net.auto.debate.headlights net.auto.debate.55 net.auto.debate.left-lane-hogs net.auto.debate.natural_vs_synthetic_oils net.auto.debate.epa net.auto.debate.seatbelts&airbags net.auto.debate.hot-rods_vs_sports-cars net.auto.truck (net.truck? net.motorvehicle.auto and net.motorvehicle.truck?) net.auto.hi-tech did I leave out anything? _____ |___| the Bavarian Beagle _|___|_ Snoopy \_____/ tektronix!mako!seifert \___/ If God had intended Man to Smoke, He would have set him on Fire. -the fortune AI project
review@drutx.UUCP (MillhamBD) (08/26/85)
OK. So how do I aim my headlights properly? Is there a easy at home method, or do I need to take the car to a gas station? I have noticed something interesting about the headlights on my 85 Chrysler Laser. They look like regular lights, but the lense is plastic. Are these better than glass, or lighter and cheaper? Anyone else with a Chrysler ever notice this? -------------------------------------------- Brian Millham AT & T Information Systems Denver, Co. ...!inhp4!drutx!review
jackh@zehntel.UUCP (jack hagerty) (08/30/85)
> OK. So how do I aim my headlights properly? Is there a easy at home > method, or do I need to take the car to a gas station? > > I have noticed something interesting about the headlights on my 85 > Chrysler Laser. They look like regular lights, but the lense is > plastic. Are these better than glass, or lighter and cheaper? Anyone > else with a Chrysler ever notice this? > > -------------------------------------------- > > Brian Millham > AT & T Information Systems > Denver, Co. > Most do-it-yourself type auto supply stores sell a home headlight aiming device. Around here (SF Bay area) they sell for <$10 and are essentially a bubble level designed to fit on the little aiming blips on your headlight lens. They come in two styles: one for round bulbs and one for rectangular. They even compensate for unlevel ground. Chrysler is the first (I believe) major automaker to use the new polycarbonate (plastic) lenses. They'll all be using them soon. Besides being cheaper than glass, they offer superior shatter resistance to rocks and other road hazards. The jury is still out as to weathering, scratch resistance, etc. This brings up a point to all those indignant types complaining about folks "fitting" halogen lamps to their cars. Nearly every car sold in this country comes from the factory with halogen lamps; there is no choice. I'd be willing to bet that 80% or more of new car buyers don't even realize that they have them. Manufacturers have switched to them, dispite the much higher cost, because they are superior lighting devices and increase night safety many times over the older style lamps. -- Jack Hagerty, Zehntel Automation Systems ...!ihnp4!zehntel!jackh