hi david!
note that in the text you quoted i was referring to running(/"parking")
lights, not
headlights.
FWIW, CA is one of the states that still has the law against daytime use of
running(/"parking") lights in the daytime (though it's both difficult and
rarely enforced),
left over from another misguided effort to protect motorists from themselves by
keeping
them from thinking that they had their headlights on because their dash was
lit... duh!
(this could be taken as another example of the low level of competence to be
expected of
our fellow Amerikun motorists.)
you make my point that driving with running(/"parking") lights on couldn't
be an issue,
so using them to benefit low-light situations can't be an issue and there
shouldn't be any
objection to their daylight use.
frankly, i don't have much sympathy for anyone who is going to think that a
vehicle is
parked in a traffic lane because they see lights on it (especially lights that
are "too dim
to be very attention getting")! let's hope for their sake they don't think that
next time
they're facing an oncoming Peterbilt/Kenworth/Camaro/Corvette/etc.! then again,
if they're
that easily confused, some might argue that we should let Darwinism take it's
course...
;-)
as for DRL circuits activating running(/"parking") lights, why would/should
they? who
cares who jumps out *behind* you? pity they don't, though; DRLs don't do
anything to make
you more visible in the shadows or under overcast to the vehicles following
you. IIRC, some
vehicles i've rented here and abroad actually deactivate the DRLs when the
running(/"parking") lights are switched on; apparently, running(/"parking")
lights are
considered enough.
in general, you seem to be contradicting yourself WRT where you stand on
use of lights;
you complained headlights were too "dazzling" but suggest using them instead of
running(/"parking") lights,... and also seem to contrarily claim both that
running(/"parking") lights in the daytime are "too dim to be very attention
getting", but
that you believe people might be confused by them; how could they be confused
if they're
not getting their attention?
cheers!
e
David Brodbeck wrote:
> I don't know of any states where it's illegal to drive with your
> headlights on during the day. There *are* states where it's illegal to
> drive with only your parking lights on. I believe this is because it
> could cause confusion about whether your car is in motion or parked.
> Generally I feel it's silly to drive with only parking lights on, when
> turning your headlights on as well will improve your visibility even
> more. Most cars have parking lights that are too dim to be very
> attention getting during the day, anyway. In fact, most cars I'm
> familiar with that use the headlights as DRLs do *not* also activate the
> parking lights.
ernest breakfield wrote:
> daytime use of running lights (what you and many Amerikuns call "parking
> lights")
> helps make you more easily seen in shadows of trees or buildings, on overcast
> days,
> under bridges and overpasses, etc.. since it's not likely anyone could
> complain that
> those are "dazzling", i don't see how anyone could have any objection to
> daytime use
> of them and generally practice that myself. more oddly, this is illegal in at
> least
> some states, but not in others...?
>
