Date: Tue, 5 Sep 2006 08:35:11 PST From: mojavegnospamveg.lsan.mdsg-pacwest.com (Everett M. Greene) Subject: Re: Daytime running lights...what's the deal?
Joe Morris <jcmorrisnospame.org> writes: > - Bob - <uctraingnospamanet.com> writes: > > >Personally, I don't like DRL's. I turn my headlights on when I think > >they are needed. That might be in the day, or as the sun sets, but > >it's my decision. I also like to be able to turn on my parking lights > >independently. I had the dealer reprogram my car so that the headlight > >switch operates as they did in the past. off/parking lights/headlights > >with no DRL's. I also had the fog lights reprogrammed so I could turn > >them on and off as I wish with any combination. > > I did the same with my '97 900. In addition to the other issues noted > about having the headlights on whenever the ignition is on, there are > two situations I frequently encounter when having headlights on at > night is considered extremely poor judgement: > > * when driving near a group of amateur astronomers at a star party > * when approaching the guard station for a military facility > > Astronomers don't like it because it takes only an instant for the > human eye to lose its dark adaptation (for examples, watch any > decent war movie scene on the bridge of a navy ship at night; that's > why red lamps are used). Recovering dark adaptation takes far, far > longer. > > And military guards -- especially these days -- tend to get a bit > testy if a car approaches them at night with bright lights that make > it impossible to see what's going on in side the car. I was reminded > of this because shortly after I bought the car I had to drive onto > the grounds of the Naval Observatory -- where the Vice-President's > residence is located. Double whammy...and a prompt trip to the dealer. What's done in Canada where the headlights with the ignition are required and have been for 20 years or so?