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Monday, January 03, 2005
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"TURN ME ON!"
Yes, that's your HEADLIGHTS talking.
Apologies to those sensitive ones, but I've long held that some people are even DUMBER than you give them credit for. And while living here in LA, I've been reminded of that time and time again.
Take, for instance, my latest observation. We've been having winter rains here in LA for about 2 weeks, or something like that. And, well, LA people can't seem to figure out how to drive in rain. If I were to create a short guide to driving in rain, it'd go something like this:
1. TURN ON HEADLIGHTS
2. SLOW DOWN
See, that's all you really need to know. But, half the people drive around like it's a sunny day. They don't seem to care that you can't even see them through the rain with their headlights off. To add insult to injury, cops even are doing this. And that's illegal.
To quote the wonderful CA Vehicle Code Section 24400:
(a) During darkness and inclement weather, a motor vehicle,
other than a motorcycle, shall be equipped with at least two lighted
headlamps, with at least one on each side of the front of the
vehicle...
(b) As used in subdivision (a), "inclement weather" is a weather
condition that is either of the following:
(1) A condition that prevents a driver of a motor vehicle from
clearly discerning a person or another motor vehicle on the highway
from a distance of 1,000 feet.
(2) A condition requiring the windshield wipers to be in
continuous use due to rain, mist, snow, fog, or other precipitation
or atmospheric moisture.
So, it's the LAW people. Just as you should buckle up, turn on your headlights in the rain.
And, it's not just the law, it's common sense.
Janine Sine, Manager for the G.E. Automotive Lighting Division quotes an Avis traveler safety study that "showed vehicles with daytime running lights (DRL) had a better accident record than vehicles not so equipped. It's a proven safety measure and already is the law in the U.S. on two wheeled vehicles where lights automatically turn on with the ignition switch. Obviously, they are more visible to other drivers."
So, forgive me if I sound impassioned about this, but I'm getting tired of not being able to see people in the rain. And it seems like they'd at least want to watch out for their own safety as well.
