Re: Full-time headlamps stupid!

[Jeremy R King <kingjer@eng.auburn.edu>]

I was trying to avoid the subject, but.......

Comment on our society:
You know, it's only my opinion, but I feel that if the government of the 
USA spent more time and money teaching people HOW TO DRIVE and less time 
trying legislate mandatory safety features that protect people in 
accidents we might just be better off.  I do realize that accidents are 
just that - accidental.  They do happen.  But I feel they would happen a 
LOT less frequently if people were TAUGHT to drive with the other guy in 
mind.  The rest of y'all know what I'm talking about.  You can tell the 
drivers from the "get there" folks.  Drivers do things like:
	1.	use signals for lane changes and turns
	2.	flick lights to let someone over on the interstate
	3.	stay in the right lane AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE
	4.	speed up to get on over if clogging the left lane
	5.	make sure their car stays in good shape
	6.	look for oncoming headlights so they can turn off
		their high beams before the other car gets blinded
	7.	adjust fog lights to correct level
	8.	keep track of traffic in rear view mirror
You get the idea.  Any other drivers out there?  OK, enough social 
commentary.

Stuff like air bags - sure they do a great job, and with the new Audi 
Sport steering wheel, they're unobtrusive.  But come on, daytime running 
lights?!!!  Next thing you know they'll be putting speed governors on our 
cars.  Why aren't anti-lock brakes mandatory?  It's because they're too 
expensive.  I don't believe in running parking lights on the road either 
(it's a different story for y'all with nice factory fogs).  When the sun 
starts to go and visibility gets funny, my low beams come on.  Also, if 
I'm taking a long trip (3 + hours) I'll run my low beams, because I'm 
gonna be on the interstate for a long time.  But I reach over and flip a 
switch.  I agree with Daniel that headlights in the day aren't 
intrinsically a bad idea.  But why can't we just reach over and flip the 
switch.  Really headlights are really dumb-looking in bright sunshine.  
Again, if you train people to turn headlights on when visibility is low, 
you've served the purpose and made those people a little more aware of 
what's going on around them.  Ultimately, I (as a driver) am in control 
of my car.  It's possible that "get there" folks will take comfort in the 
fact that they have anti-lock brakes, air bags everywhere (roof?), 
daytime running lights, etc, etc and actually be much less concerned 
with what's going on around them. 

Jeremy R. King
1986 VW Quantum GL5
Audi at Heart

On Sat, 18 Nov 1995, Daniel Hussey wrote:

>       OK, am I the only one here that thinks that driving around in the daytime
>  with your headlamps on is stupid?  I don't think I'm the only one.  I guess
> I'm not really against DRLs so much as not having the option of turning them of
> f....I think that is stupid!  What if I don't want them on....tough luck, huh?
> Another stupid safety feature imposed on us.  GM now uses them in all thier che
> esy cars and all those cheesy people use them.