December 27, 2007
BJ Stone did a post several days ago indicating that he takes issue with people who leave their brights on for too long. I have a tendency to use my brights fairly often, and in the opinion of some people, excessively. I have many reasons for this:
1.) I grew up in a part of Southeast Florida where even the neighborhood streets were well-lit. The Peoria area and its neighborhoods are, far and away, the most poorly lit and signage-short places I’ve EVER seen. I will use my brights in your neighborhood, because I don’t want to hit a deer, and I need to be able to read the street signs and house addresses. This is not a problem with my vision, it is a problem with street signs and addresses that outdated and undersized, obscured by someone’s overgrown weeds, or not displayed at all.
2.) While my car is equipped with driving lights, they do NOTHING to extend my vision. As they were originally called “fog lights”, they are aimed under and behind the headlights to light up the section of road under the aim of the main lights.
3.) Illinois law states that I don’t have to kill my brights until oncoming vehicles are 500 feet away, or vehicles being overtaken are 300 feet away. This is a much shorter distance than people seem to think. I’m almost completely sure that the lanes of 74 between the 474 ramp and exit 102A-B are at least 500 feet apart. People seem to think that just because they know my brights are on, I need to turn them off. This is not the case. BJ, I agree with you about the hill crest statement. There’s nothing worse than being blinded just as you begin the descent off the top of a hill.
4.) If there is a large SUV or truck approaching me, I will not turn my brights off unless they flash at me. I have to deal with their lights shining right in my back window EVERY SINGLE DAY at EVERY SINGLE STOPLIGHT. Ever try to drive home in the dark with sensory fatigue blinding you most of the way? I don’t suggest it. The best part is, even if I flip my rearview mirror up, the assholes are always offset to one side so I’m being blinded by my side mirrors instead.
I guess what it comes down to is this- If the equipment came with the car, it’s made to be used. Driving any vehicle, especially a small one, is much safer with the brights on. I have yet to hit a deer or a person, or anything else because . That’s all the reason I need.
And BJ, I respect you very much and read your blog as much as possible. I just felt like the other side of this needed to be stated, and I didn’t want to hog up the comment section on your blog.
January 2nd, 2008 at 3:31 pm
Appreciate your response very much. I will say this: The Illinois laws you (correctly) stated are, sadly, out of date in a big way. Those distances may have been acceptable 50 years ago (my guess is the laws do indeed date back to the 1950’s), but the equipment is better today.
Today’s vehicles have lights that are simply blinding from 1000 feet away, let alone 500 feet. Also, it has always made me chuckle that someone driving a moving car is supposed to be able to ascertain what 300 or 500 feet is.
Very simply, the law should be rewritten to say “if there is an approaching vehicle ANYWHERE IN VIEW, the lights should be dimmed, and if you can see the taillights of the vehicle in front of you, at ANY distance, your lights should be dimmed.”
It also shouldn’t matter how far apart the lanes are on a divided highway…if I can see your lights I want you to dim them for me. Properly positioned dim lights not only angle their beam down towards the road, but also slightly to the right, for the sole reason of not shining directly into the oncoming vehicle’s line of sight. Just because you’re on the other side of the highway doesn’t mean your brights aren’t bothering oncoming traffic.
Today’s dim lights are better than 1965’s bright lights. The law should be rewritten to reflect that change.
Also, the first part of your #4 is one of those things that most angers me. If my lights are on dim, you’re going to go ahead and keep yours on bright until I ask you to dim them by flashing mine? That’s one word: rude. Dim your lights when a car…or truck…approaches. You shouldn’t have to be “asked” to do it.
I do agree with much of what you wrote, and do respect your opinion as well.
January 11th, 2008 at 2:23 pm
Gotta agree with BJ on this one.