Anthonyp

Years ago the front parking lights worked separate from the headlights. They were wired to go off when the headlights were lit. Later they were wired to work when the headlights were lit. What is the purpose of having the front parking lights lit when the headlights are on when they are only needed when parked?

Need to end these conversations as need to help my neighbors, who are becoming annoyed or harmed, by motorcycles with loud exhausts. Some have medical conditions that are exasperated or set off by the needlessly loud exhausts. Attempting to have Federal standards and regulations for motorcycle mufflers and exhaust noise adopted by State agencies and departments. Undoubtedly will get much pushback by organizations, groups, individuals, and officials who buy into or endorse the disproven and discredited Loud Pipes-Saves Lives slogan.

Emergency brakes have stopped vehicles when the service brakes became inoperable. Yes, an emergency brake will not function as efficient the service brakes, but it will slow down and eventually stop a vehicle. Dual master cylinders have been known to fail either fully or partially. Many times, when a partial failure occurs, and the vehicle needs to stop or slow down faster than either the remaining front or rear set of brakes will permit, application of the emergency brake will increase the slow down time, or decrease the stopping distance.

The instructors were calling them marker lights because they could be used so others can better visually see your vehicle when use of headlights are not warranted or required. Sort of like the parking brake that is suppose to be set whenever a vehicle is parked, but is called an emergency brake whenever the service brakes are unable to stop a moving vehicle. I get your point though.

Exactly my point. Even if awkward to use because application type, the parking brake is still used as an emergency brake when necessary.

And a parking brake is called a parking, but used as an emergency brake when needed. One would not elect to forgo the use of the parking brake if the service brakes malfunctioned, just because it is called a parking brake.

You are absolutely correct about the overly bright and blinding emergency lights. They went from not having enough emergency lights to having way too many. Especially when equipped with LED emergency lights. LED lights, which are bad enough when used in headlamps, are even more blinding when used for emergency lights, which have no cutoff or shielding, permitting the bright light to disperse without any limitations. Not to mention the high blue wave length emitted by LED diodes, that a driver’s eye does not react to. Unlike most other lighting, the pupil does not constrict and permits the extremely bright light to enter the eye unrestricted. An officer will be blinded by the LED emergency lights from his or her own vehicle. Which which could be catastrophic. Many law enforcement agencies, after testing LED emergency lights, either retained or returned to incandescent lit emergency roof mounted lights. The effect is even worse with advent of stealth patrol vehicles, which have even more LED emergency lights to offset the lack of a roof mounted light bar, which are blinding themselves if lighted by LED diodes. An officer said the use of LED emergency lights is like an officer shining the light from his service flashlight into the eyes of the operator of an approaching vehicle. Another said use of LED emergency lights is as hazardous as installing dark tint to the front side windows of a patrol vehicle. While another said LED emergency lights were not only blinding motorists, but the officers themselves, which placed them in dangerous situations. In addition to the LED lights being blinding, the hidden emergency lights on stealth patrol vehicles are easily obstructed whenever another vehicle or object is between the stealth patrol vehicle and other motorists. During the hours of dusk and dawn, lighting is sufficient to see without the need of illumination from headlamps. During this time, a driver’s pupils are beginning to dilate, or are still partially dilated, because of the lower natural lighting after the sun sets or breaks over the horizon. The light from oncoming headlamps creates a temporary blind spot until the eyes can react and recover. Hence why parking lights are sufficient for others to see your vehicle, without the blind spot created with use of headlights that are not needed for illumination during that period. If conditions warrant the need for headlights, then of course they would be used. The term parking lights is not unlike the term parking brake. If the service brakes became inoperable for any reason while a vehicle was moving, undoubtedly the driver would not hesitate to use the parking brake, because of its common name, to slow and stop the vehicle. The same brake is also known to some as the emergency brake. With many instructors now suggesting or encouraging drivers to use the vehicle headlights 24/7, it is not surprising to see many vehicles operating at night with a burned out headlamp, as well as taillights. Many would say it is more important safety wise to have two headlamps working at night than it is to use the headlights when conditions do not warrant, or require their use, or when their use is less beneficial.

What are the lights called on the front and rear sides of passenger vehicles, vans, and pickup trucks? Like many other devices and equipment, parking lights are now used for other than when the vehicle is parked. Even police vehicles are seen operating with the parking lights on when there is sufficient light to see, but the driver wants other motorists to easier see their vehicle when light conditions are starting to diminish. In inclement weather, when sight distance is less than 500 or 1,000 feet, depending where you reside or are located, headlamps must then be lit. Many are now against the Wipers On/Headlights On law, which besides being found unnecessary, is now contributing to headlight light glare, especially when the vehicle is equipped with high output headlights, which is reflecting off the wet roadway and other objects. If a downpour, the minimum sight distance law mandate would dictate the use of headlights. Many legislators with common sense passed laws stating headlamps must be lit a half hour past sunset, and a half hour before sunrise, so to give drivers vision time to adjust to the changing light conditions still occurring after sunset and before sunrise, without being blinded by the light from oncoming headlamps. Yes, fog lights have a different light pattern from low and high beam headlamps, but that is intentional. The light pattern from fog lamps, either with a white or amber color, is to keep the light from reflecting back from the fog and making the condition worse, as occurs with low beam headlamps. And motorists in other vehicles can see your vehicle during the daytime with the fog lights lit when dense fog, heavy rain, or snowy conditions are present. Many times when driving at night in dense fog or when the flakes during a snow storm are creating a similar effect, drivers are seen slowing down and turning on the turn signal or hazard lights with the headlights off, so to reduce the glare, and better see the installed road reflectors or reflectorized paint markings. Like parking lights, hazard lights, other than those for commercial vehicles, are not suppose to be used when the vehicle is moving. The law in most States permit fog and auxiliary lights to operate without the low beams on, as long as the parking lights are on at the same time. I have leased new vehicles since 1992, and all but one, permitted the fog lights to work without the low headlamps lit. The one was an import from Germany and sold under an American brand. The front parking lights on vehicles used to go off when the headlights were turn on. Back in the 60’s, the USDOT changed the regulations to require the front parking lights to be lit when the headlamps are lit. Daytime Running Lights (DRL) do not emit the same intensity as low beam headlamps, as you noted. A much lower intensity is used, whether the headlamps or a separate lighting device is used. DRL’s were implemented to make a vehicle visible during the daytime, specifically when the sun is shining and creates a glare that masks the vehicle image. Subaru and other manufacturers had to recall vehicles because the higher intensity of the DRL was actually blinding oncoming drivers, by creating a glare even during the daytime. The same blinding effect created by oncoming HID and LED headlamps at night, also occur during the daytime. This includes when a vehicle is cresting a hill, hitting bumps in the road, carrying cargo or passengers, negotiating a curve, or is traveling on a higher roadway. Maybe, like the Highway Patrol and DMV Inspectors used to do when a rule or regulation was nonsensical, ineffective, or was counterproductive, they worked to have it changed so it benefited everyone. Not unlike speed limits set too low, improper use of STOP signs, and removal of safe designated passing zones. As well as ensuring motorists are using the proper highway lanes, and not blocking the passing lanes, which is every lane except for the far right travel lane. These are just a few examples.

Yes they are officially called parking lights. But instructors called them ‘marker’ lights so to distinguish their use in this situation. The situation being their use to make a vehicle easier to recognize without the use of headlights when a driver’s vision is adjusting to changing lighting conditions, such as the half hour after sunset and the half hour before sunrise. Not unlike when fog lights are used during dense fog instead of headlamps, due to the headlights creating a blinding effect. In the past, many States required fog lamps to only operate with the low beam headlights, defeating the purpose of fog lights. Of course, fog lights should be wired to work with the taillights.

Reciprocity with another State’s secondary offense rule? Many drunks drivers are stopped during the overnight hours when observed driving without the vehicle headlamps lit. Back in the day, if an officer was issuing speeding tickets all day, they were called frivolous speeding tickets by other officers. Besides the fact other more serious traffic infractions that are commonly committed are the cause of most accidents. When there were Highway Patrols and DMV Inspectors, their primary duties were traffic and vehicle safety, which included accident prevention, roadways, and vehicle equipment. If headlights seemed to be overly bright, an officer would check the sealed beam headlamps for DOT conformity while the lights were turned off, and if the vehicle was equipped with bulb type headlamps, a re-inspection citation was issued. A vehicle can be seen at night with a headlight or taillight out, not unlike a motorcycle with a single headlight and taillight. A vehicle with illegal bright headlights, wrongly aimed towards oncoming traffic and blinding other motorists, would be more a hazardous for pedestrians or bicyclists on the shoulder of the road. NHTSA sets headlight standards with vehicles having full fuel tanks, representative weight loads, and tires properly inflated so to determine more realistic guidelines. The guidelines preventing glare should take into account vehicle movement. Multiple studies have proven that loud exhaust systems on motorcycles do not make the rider safer. The majority of motorcycle accidents are either single vehicle, or occur when another vehicle pulls out in front of the motorcycle. The exhaust noise is not heard until the motorcycle passes by, which is too late to prevent an accident. And yes, the Headlight Auto Dim feature that was available in the 50’s and 60’s was a reliable and effective option, unlike today’s version.

Sort of like why some States do not require use of headlights until a half hour after sunset, and a half hour before sunrise. Still enough light to see, and give the driver’s vision time to adjust to the changing condition without oncoming headlights creating a blinding effect. If weather or environmental conditions warranted it, instructors advised motorists to use the marker lights to make the vehicle easier for other motorists to recognize. If the sight distance was less than 1,000 feet, then the headlights were required to be lit. In some States the minimum sight distance is 500 feet before the headlights are required to be lit. The pirate joke and analogy were very good.

Many times drivers are seen with their cell phone mounted on top of the dash with the light from the screen glaring directly at the driver, with the same type of LED lighting. Most people slow down when blinded by bright approaching headlights or when the rising or setting sun floods through their windshield while driving. Slowing down by itself will not abate or prevent being blinded by overly bright or misdirected headlamp light.

That is true. Many times it is just trying to get the current regulations enforced, or amended so to be sensible and practical.

Good advise, but does not work too well when driving and trying to watch for pedestrians, cyclists, and wildlife.

Very interesting headlamp lighting system. Headlights are blinding us. Here’s why it’s mostly an American problem This aerial drone photo shows a car driving on a road at night with headlights shadowing a vehicle on the road. SAE International, formerly known as the Society of Automotive Engineers, had earlier created its own standards for adaptive headlights through a committee of industry experts. NHTSA’s [USDOT National Highway Transportation Safety Administration] standards are more restrictive than SAE’s. Safety regulations usually differ somewhat between different global markets. But, since adaptive beam headlights have been in use in other countries for a decade or more, automakers hoped that regulations would allow their introduction in this country without requiring major equipment changes, according to various industry sources. NHTSA’s rules require the ADB headlights to respond extremely swiftly after detecting another vehicle within reach of the lights, much faster than other standards require in the EU and Canada. Also much faster than a human could switch off an ordinary high beam headlight. They also dictate extreme narrow lines between bright and dark regions. The NHTSA regulations prioritize reducing any potential to cause glare for other drivers. Glare has been a particular concern for many years since new vehicles have brighter headlights that can sometimes cause discomfort or even temporarily blind other drivers. Many in the industry say the regulations overemphasize that concern, though, holding adaptive beam headlights to even higher standards than regular headlights when it comes to glare reduction. NHTSA also states that other standards put forth by the industry, such as an SAE standard, don’t do enough to prevent the systems from sometimes putting too much light into the eyes of other drivers. https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/15/cars/headlights-tech-adaptable-high-beams-cars/index.html