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Re: the TRUTH about Daytime Running Lights !!!!!!
In article <44c2k4$t91@dg-rtp.dg.com>,
Bob Goudreau <goudreau@dg-rtp.dg.com> wrote:
>Paul Lu (CindyLu@Mindspring.com) wrote:
>: In the night, you don't see a car in front of you without
>: its rear light.
>
>Not true. After all, (full-strength) headlights illuminate your field
>of view, don't they? Tail-lights at night (and turn signals and brake
>lights at any time of day, for that matter), have only one purpose:
>to shout "notice me" to other drivers who ideally would have noticed
>the other vehicle anyway. But we don't live in an ideal world, which
>is why these sorts of vehicle lights sometimes come in handy as
>additional measures of safety.
At night, headlights are insufficient to see all the cars that are of
immediate concern, especially at higher speeds. Tail-lights at night serve
the purpose of allowing the car to be seen. Brake lights serve the purpose
of giving the person behind you warning that you are slowing down - and if
they do not also slow down they will hit you. Turn signals indicate a future
action. Their purpose is to bring attention to the fact not that the car is
THERE but that it will soon be DOING SOMETHING. This may include slowing
down to make a turn or changing lanes, both of which might require an action
from someone seeing it.
You've never seen someone without functioning brake lights (or with brake
lights that are indistinguishable from taillights) slow down directly in
front of you? You've never been behind someone when all of a sudden they
slow down for no apparant reason and make a turn with no signal? You've
never had someone change into your lane right in front of you without
signalling? You've never been waiting to make a right turn onto a fast road,
but don't because you see someone coming, and then only when they turn onto
your road do you realize that you could have gone before he and the entire
pack of cars behind him went by - if only he had signalled.
Now, I know it's hard to see the front turn signals with DRLs, but you
must've had all the ones involving the back of another car happen to you. If
not, please explain to me how these odd Canadian roads work.
References: