A plea to drivers (bad weather)

General Discussion
41

Yes, that was it!
Thanks for refreshing my memory regarding their exact words.
:relaxed:

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42

IMHO that was uncalled for. Robert isn’t even here.
Let’s direct the thread away from making personal comments about people who aren’t even present. Frankly, I can understand why Robert no longer posts to this forum.

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43

Just to get back on track regarding driving in inclement weather, one of my pet peeves is people who fail to clear their tail lights of snow. This isn’t as big a problem as it used to be, given the difference in the placement of tail lights nowadays, but I still see some cars whose drivers have not cleared snow from their tail lights, and–in some cases–these are the same morons who clear only about 2 sq ft of their windshield of snow before driving.

I used to work with a guy who would pull into the parking lot with so much snow on his car that it looked like a moving snowbank. When I suggested that he might want to clear the snow from his tail lights before departing at the end of the day, he informed me that this was not necessary.
As that comedian says, You can’t fix stupid

:confused:

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44

Here is a little cartoon humor that is
vaguely
related to the theme of this thread:

:wink:

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45

@VDCdriver

"unencumbered by the thought process"
Yes, that was it!
Thanks for refreshing my memory regarding their exact words.

You’re welcome! I thought you’d enjoy it.
CSA

46

All of my GM cars (3) have sentinel lighting. They also allow you to turn them on manually and off manually. It is sometimes difficult during the day to see if the dash lights are on. Having the ability to turn the lights on allows me to make sure all my lights are on in the rain. It is common courtesy to turn the lights off when approaching a security checkpoint. The 3 setting exterior lighting controls GM uses is a proper way to handle it IMO.

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47

I’m unfamiliar with what this means. Can you describe the GM lighting scheme?

VDC’s comments are so true. I often see cars going down the road after a snowstorm with just a small hole cleared in the windshield, even though in NH it’s a citable offense
 and the local cops will cite you if they see you. In NH you must clear your windows and your roof and hood. There have been too many accidents caused by snow and/or ice blowing off someone’s roof or hood. A few years back an innocent driver was killed on the highway by ice blowing off someone’s roof, prompting the aforementioned statute. People had finally gotten fed up with the situation.

But no matter what statute is passed, there’ll always be someone who just plain doesn’t think. Late yesterday evening, past sundown, I noticed a neighbor driving down the road with no lights on whatsoever
 and a peephole cleared in his windshield. He’s well known around town for not using the intelligence that God gave him. This event supports my advocacy for lights
 all outside lights
 automatically going on whenever the key is in the ON position. It seems to me to be such a simple solution that would be cheaper to install than DRLs.

48

On my former Corolla, I did a variation of what you mentioned

Since the car was DESIGNED to turn off any lights as soon as you turn off the ignition . . . no matter what position the light switch happened to be in . . . I simply left the switch in the “on” position the whole time I owned the car

I never had to remember to turn the lights on OR off

Foolproof :triumph:

The whole time I owned the car, not once did some jerk flash me or “kindly” point out I forgot to turn off my headlights during a bright and sunny day

And on the flip side, nobody had to ever remind me to turn on my lighting when it was dark or rainy outside

And this car was definitely pre-DRL or automatic headlamps, in case anybody’s wondering. No kind of light sensor, whatsoever

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49

With DRLs being as common as they are now, it’s been a long time since anyone has flashed me.
My car is set up to automatically turn the lights off when I turn the engine off even if the lighting switch is on, but I’ve noticed that when I use it this way the lights are all on when I’m starting the car. It probably doesn’t matter, but I prefer that the headlights not be on during starting, so I turn the lights off and on myself. It is nice to know, however, that if I forget they’ll go off by themselves.

50

You have a Scion, don’t you?

I’m asking, because what you describe is common for Toyota products, even some of the pre-automatic headlight models

However, there are still some cars out there that will not shut off the lights automatically, when you turn off the ignition, in case you left the switch in the on or auto position

But those usually remind you with a rather annoying beep

51

The light switch has 3 switch positions: off (left), automatic (center), and on (right). We leave the switch on the automatic setting and turn the switch left or right if there is a reason to do so. I usually turn the switch to the right in the rain to make sure the headlights are on. Does that explain it? If not, let me know what’s missing.

52

In my family we have 2 cars with auto headlights and 2 with out. We treat them all as without. Either the headlights/DRL’s are switched on or they are switched off, no wondering at all about if it is dark enough for them to come on or not. I do, out of habit turn on the DRL’s and parking lights on every time I drive. I hate cars that don’t the parking lights on with the DRL’s.

53

+1
Another–much easier solution–would be if all automakers used Subaru’s approach of wiring the headlights through the ignition switch. If my headlights are on when I shut off the ignition, then they turn off (so as to not run the battery down). When I restart the engine–voila!–the headlights are on again–unless I decide to turn them off.
:pensive:

54

Yup. I do.
There are I’m sure lots of variations of lighting controls. And then there’re Canadian cars, which must have DRLs.

I’ve noticed also on some new cars that use LED strips for DRLs that when they have a directional on the LEDs on that side go out. It looked strange the first time I saw it, but it does attract one’s attention to the fact that the vehicle has his/her directional on
 and the LEDs won’t “wash out” the directionals that way. So as strange as it looks to me, I suppose it’s a good thing.

55

@VDCdriver

“If my headlights are on when I shut off the ignition, then they turn off (so as to not run the battery down).”

That’s how my GM cars’ automatic lights work, but there is an adjustable delay feature that lets one determine how many seconds to leave all the lights on (including interior lights) after the car is shut-off.

It gives occupants a chance to get out and walk away while some illumination makes it safer/more pleasant.

I never touch the light switches. It has worked flawlessly for years.
CSA

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56

See, I’m too OCD to leave the car with the lights illuminated–what if I didn’t turn them off properly? So I have to stand by it and wait for the lights to turn out. If I actually owned the car in question, I’d set them all to “zero seconds.”

57

I leave my exterior lights on auto. The only time I turn them off is when putting around town on clear sunny days. If I travel on highways I always turn them on. I’m sure some cheapskates will argue that miniscule reduction of fuel mileage and replacing bulbs is financially oppressive. I of course vote for accident prevention.

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58

This reminds me of some comedians joke " I found out that the majority of auto accidents happen within 25 miles of home. So I moved 30 miles away".

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59

Meanjoe75fan,
I hear you. I have OCD myself occasionally. It takes a few seconds to walk from my car to my house or from the car to a store, etcetera. I occasionally (frequently always) glance back just to make sure those lights go off.
CSA

60

“Please clean the snow and ice from your car before driving. First of all, that is illegal in some states”

It’s illegal to clean off your car??? Or is this “Read what I meant”?

3
 When it’s slick, don’t follow too close.