This is a popular thing to do with privately owned commercial trucks too.
Dekotora?
http://tinyurl.com/oj2c7vl
Ah, back to the original subject of lighting…
IMHO better lighting is absolutely the best way to reduce your chances of an accident on ANY vehicle. LEDs being cheap and low-draw devices, I cannot understand why all vehicles don’t come with much better lighting. I also cannot understand why the DOT doesn’t require all lights (other than directional) to be illuminated whenever the key is in eth ON position.
NHTSA spends billions searching for ways to reduce accidents, when there’s such a simple and obvious way. And yet it isn’t required. Makes my little brain woozy.
The problem with having that many lights is maintenance. DOT truck tape can add visibility without any electrical modifications.
With LEDs and bit of intelligent design, maintenance doesn’t need to be an issue.
I use the reflective tape on many applications, but not my car body. Although I did stick some on the inner edge of my doors so that if I open them at night the tape reflects to an upcoming car.
The trick to using truck tape in this kind of application is to find a way to use it tastefully, like on the rear bumper of an RV. I’ll post some pics later of what I’m talking about.
I used it on my pickups and liberally on my snowblower and even my hand plow (to make myself more visible when clearing snow at night), but not on my paint.
And, of course, the sides of police cars are well endowed with it.
I’m thinking about adding the line LED’s to my 50cc -10inch tire, scooter. I figure that every element bulb I replace, I will be saving at least 1 amp per. Since the alternator is already running, I might as well accessorize the putt-putt. I’ve already added a GPS so that I can be alerted to the upcoming potholes. and roadkill.
Man, if I drove a 50cc 10"-tired scooter after dark I’d light it up like my neighbor’s house at Christmas!
LOL.
I also cannot understand why the DOT doesn't require all lights (other than directional) to be illuminated whenever the key is in eth ON position.
Bet you don’t get invited to the drive-in very often!
Point being, there are specific instances in which headlights aren’t desired. Drive-ins. In line at the drive thru, when your car sits higher than the one in front of you. Christmas lights(!)
Also, cycling lights on/off is a valid informational signal…generally indicating to another motorist that it’s safe to proceed (I.e. turn left ahead of me, or pull into right lane after passing me.)
As a safety measure, in the event of a “worst-case-scenario” alternator failure, I may well NEED to be able to shed all non-essential loads so as to maximize range.
I certainly hope you turn your headlights off when viewing Christmas light displays! Few things more annoying than making a donation to see the lights and having it ruined by the 2.4 X10^44 candlepower headlights of the jackwagon directly behind me!
Joe, are you suggesting that the “on” lighting position when the key is in the ON position couldn’t be a default with a manual override for those times when lights aren’t appropriate?
Allow me to introduce you to “normally ON solenoid operated relays”… They allow one to disable a normally enabled circuit with the push of a button or flick of a switch. And yes, they could be used to blink your lights.
And I hope you DON’T turn your lights OFF to view Christmas lights. Safety is more important than pretty.
And the guy behind you should have his headlights on too. You do have a day/night mirror I assume? If the guy behind you has an illegal lighting setup, and many do, that’s prohibited anyway. He’s going to do what he’s going to do no matter what the laws say. No change in default lighting of headlights is going to change what he does one single bit.
Most motorcycle headlights have been coming on automatically with the ignition since 1979. Some have a relay that waits for the engine to start but to turn the headlights off you have to switch off the ignition.
I’m not a biker so I could be wrong, but I think in NH the headlights are required to be on for motorcyclists. Perhaps a NH biker could respond.
But either way I still think all the regular nighttime lights should come on automatically.
And I hope you DON'T turn your lights OFF to view Christmas lights. Safety is more important than pretty.
Uh, I did say “make a donation”…so we’re talking about a closed course (county park) with a procession of cars doing 3 MPH. If parking lights are insufficient in that case, there’s something seriously wrong…probably ought to review if you’re still medically qualified.
And I interpreted you as meaning “lights hard-wired to the ignition.”
I’ve never seen one of those, so you lost me there. Where I’m from people just drive around the neighborhoods looking at lights. Weather permitting.
In a closed procession, I see your point. But it was never my intent to suggest that the circuitry not allow the driver to override the headlights when appropriate.
Usually those processions are at the local county fairgrounds or other place large enough to house a display of such a nature.