# People, it's simple: water falling from sky=turn your lights on **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 24, 2002, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-its-simple-water-falling-from-sky-turn-your-lights-on/115716 "2002-06-24T14:59:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![easy\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/eb8c5e/32.png) [@easy\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/easy_e)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2002, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-its-simple-water-falling-from-sky-turn-your-lights-on/115716/1 "2002-06-24T14:59:19Z")
Alright, I’m really happy that your mom fed you lots of carrots when you were a kiddie, so that you have great vision in dim light. The kind of dim light that occurs during morning thunderstorms. I could probably see without my lights on, but I put them on _as a favor to other drivers_. Because you, especially in your dark car, and you in your silvery car, tend to blend into the mist if you don’t have them on. So stop being such an asshat and turn your lights on. And while we’re at it–turn 'em on at dusk and dawn, because when the sun is at the horizon, cars are more difficult to spot. And use your turn signals (this means when changing lanes, too). That is all. ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2002, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-its-simple-water-falling-from-sky-turn-your-lights-on/115716/2 "2002-06-24T15:07:12Z")
In these parts it’s windshield wipers on, lights on. But I hear ya, sister. ---
**Author:** ![Lucretia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/13edae/32.png) [@Lucretia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucretia)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2002, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-its-simple-water-falling-from-sky-turn-your-lights-on/115716/3 "2002-06-24T16:16:40Z")
I also wonder at those drivers that fail to grasp that “white stuff falling from the sky = SLOW DOWN!” It seems to be particularly bad in this part of the country (MD/DC/VA). There was a 100+ car accident in Virginia last year that basically boiled down to people driving too fast in the snow. ---
**Author:** ![cbtcad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/46a35a/32.png) [@cbtcad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cbtcad)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2002, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-its-simple-water-falling-from-sky-turn-your-lights-on/115716/4 "2002-06-24T18:20:42Z")
Heres a fun one. I was in one of those vertical river t-storms and was only driving because I wanted to find a safe place to pull off because I couldn’t see six feet past my hood (I was going about 5 mph) and some idiot blows by me going at least 40 with no lights on. There was no way in hell he could have been able to see and I still wonder how he even made it as far as he did with out ending up as a large damp charred scrap heap ---
**Author:** ![SuaSponte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/67e7ee/32.png) [@SuaSponte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuaSponte)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2002, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-its-simple-water-falling-from-sky-turn-your-lights-on/115716/5 "2002-06-24T22:16:57Z")
Personally, I’ve always thought the windshield wipers/lights laws were more than a bit asinine. They define “overbroad.” Sua ---
**Author:** ![WSLer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a6a055/32.png) [@WSLer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WSLer)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2002, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-its-simple-water-falling-from-sky-turn-your-lights-on/115716/6 "2002-06-24T22:26:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SuaSponte \* > \*\*Personally, I’ve always thought the windshield wipers/lights laws were more than a bit asinine. They define “overbroad.” > > Sua \*\* Explain please. ---
**Author:** ![WolfpackJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpackjeep/32/2921_2.png) [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2002, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-its-simple-water-falling-from-sky-turn-your-lights-on/115716/7 "2002-06-24T23:10:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SuaSponte \* > \*\*Personally, I’ve always thought the windshield wipers/lights laws were more than a bit asinine. They define “overbroad.” > > Sua \*\* Umm…I think that these laws are trying to say, “If it’s raining hard enough for you to turn your wipers on, then it’s raining hard enough to affect your visibility to other drivers.” You may be able to see without headlights just fine, but your car may be kicking up enough mist from the road to effectively “hide” you from other drivers. Hence the headlights (and tail lights). ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2002, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-its-simple-water-falling-from-sky-turn-your-lights-on/115716/8 "2002-06-25T12:45:43Z")
I think what **Sua** was trying to say was that he feels like the laws MAKING and or FORCING you turn on your lights when your windshield wipers were in use were assinine. If, in fact, that’s what **Sua** was saying, then I, for one, agree with him. Sorry for the over use of commas which I probably didn’t use correctly anyway. (And **Sua** , if that ISN’T what you were saying, I apologize and everyone just ignore me.) Seems to me that the country is trying way too hard to regulate and govern just plain stupid. As someone said in another thread, I believe it was **Annie** , “You can’t fix dumb”. [MissyRant] If I have intelligence enough to have a driver’s license, then I have intelligence enough to know when to turn my lights on. Stop the morons from getting licenses in the FIRST place - don’t try and keep them from killing themselves or other people after the fact. For crying out loud - driving ain’t a right - it’s a privelege. **And if you’re a MORON, you shouldn’t have a license.** End of story. And pretty ironic, considering who my governor is, huh. [/MissyRant] ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2002, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-its-simple-water-falling-from-sky-turn-your-lights-on/115716/9 "2002-06-25T22:05:24Z")
BUT WHO WILL THINK OF THE ENGLISH CAR DRIVERS??? You expect them to run lights _and_ wipers, you’re just begging for a meltdown courtesy of “The Prince of Darkness” aka Lucas! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2002, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-its-simple-water-falling-from-sky-turn-your-lights-on/115716/10 "2002-06-25T22:12:54Z")
BUT WHO WILL THINK OF THE ENGLISH CAR DRIVERS??? You expect them to run lights _and_ wipers, you’re just begging for a meltdown courtesy of “The Prince of Darkness” aka Lucas! 😃