A new law went into effect in Ohio today

[doc03]

if you have your windshield wipers on you must have your lights on or it costs you $100. I think I will just put Rain-X on my windows and quit using my wipers.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. We've had that one in MN for years.

Don't know of anyone who's ever been fined, though.

[babylonsister]

2. Same in GA. If it's raining you have to put your lights on. nt

[JDPriestly]

12. If it's raining, then yes, lights should be on in rainy states.

But, what if you have your wipers on for some other reason? That's a stupid law.

And out here in California, we sometimes get rains so light that turning on the car lights would be silly -- although we might want to wipe the windshield once in a while to clear of the drops.

[doc03]

15. Exactly how many times do you just have a few sprinkles and

put your wipers on delay?

[JDPriestly]

71. We have a long time between rains and some of our rains are very, very light.

Drop . . . . . . . . . . . drop.

We can also have really hard rains, but sometimes it just kind of drips. And remember, it's very sunny here nearly all the time.

[Hekate]

73. The windshield gets very dusty, so a little bit of rain just makes mud. We live with drought.

I often use the spray/wipe function to clean my windshield out here in SoCal.

Hekate

[TommyO]

53. It's all about visibility, with your lights on, other people can see you

There's absolutely nothing silly about it.

[timtom]

62. It's all about revenue and the

criminalization of the already broken American middle class.

[Luminous Animal]

74. It is the law in California since 2008 that your headlights be on when you are using your wipers.

Even when using the intermittent function.

[Duckhunter935]

3. common sense

so other people will be able to see you

[doc03]

6. I think it's just another excuse to make money n/t

[JamesA1102]

61. How? nt

[bluesbassman]

4. California did that last year. Personally I like it.

I want all the help I can get being safe on the road.

[DJ13]

5. We have that law here in California, but no one gets stopped for it

I think the governments just like passing picky little laws so the police have justifiable reasons to pull people over and see if theres other violations they can get you for that increases revenues for them.

Besides, if its that important of a safety issue the Feds could mandate that the lights on new cars would come on whenever the wipers are turned on.

[47of74]

7. I hope the cops are keeping a GD close eye on legistlator vehicles then

And be ready to pull them over in a freaking second if the legislators violate the law they just passed.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

43. I'm sure there are exceptions for official cars and cop cars

rules are for the rest of us.

[doc03]

14. They said the same thing about the seat belt laws.

I have been stopped twice for some trumped up charge and then given a ticket for not wearing a seat belt and no other charges. It's just another excuse for the cops to pull you over to search for some other violation.

[BalancedGoat]

70. You can't be pulled over solely for violation of this new provision.

"no law enforcement officer shall cause the operator of a vehicle being operated upon a street or highway within this state to stop the vehicle solely because the officer observes that a violation of division (A)(3) of this section has been or is being committed or for the sole purpose of issuing a ticket, citation, or summons for a violation of that division, or causing the arrest of or commencing a prosecution of a person for a violation of that division."

Though I suppose the real question is what the court does with the ticket if an officer is found to have violated the above clause.

[LiberalFighter]

8. I don't have to worry about that. My lights are automatically on when in drive.

But, I try to have RainX applied for rain situations. It helps a lot. Much better than wipers.

I hope I confuse people that see me driving without wipers. Especially when I drive by them.

[47of74]

10. I had a 99 Malibu that turned the lights on automatically when it got dark enough

Didn't have the DRLs though. I tested a Saturn that had DRLs. It's been a while since I've had a GM vehicle. They still have those or not?

[LiberalFighter]

13. Last I knew. I have a 99 Cavalier.

[47of74]

9. And what if you just turn em on for a few seconds to get the bird shit off your window?

[Tesha]

49. Nobody's going to stop you for that.

It's always funny how quickly outrage breaks out here.

Tesha

[47of74]

51. Wanna bet?

How many Barney Fife wannabes are out there anyways?

[BalancedGoat]

68. The law doesn't apply in that situation.

The law refers specifically to when the wipers are in use because of precipitation on the windows.

There is also a clause stating that no officer shall pull anyone over for a violation of this provision by itself.

[Tesha]

77. How dare you interrupt a good rant with facts! Facts! Of all things! ;-)

(I don't really need the :sarcasm: thingy, do I?)

[JDPriestly]

11. What if you are washing your windshield with the spray and the wipers

while driving? What a crazy law.

[LouKneeLib]

16. it's a shame....

that they have to legislate common sense in Ohio. What a pity. :nopity:

[doc03]

17. Why do I get fined for not using a seat belt but

not if I don't wear my motorcycle helmet? Are MC riders expendable or what?

[LouKneeLib]

22. who knows?

I know plenty of bikers who raved about the experience of riding without a brain bucket. I always thought it to be an unnecessary risk, many states require you to ride with a helmet. Think about it like this, you lay your bike down, and bump your head. Your skinned up, shaken up, and in some pain. Now rethink that scenario without a helmet. Not only are you seriously injured (if not dead), but your also going to consume additional limited public resources (EMTs, MediVac, Ambulances, Surgeons, etc.)

Just some food for thought....

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

50. Riding without a helmet is not only unsafe

but it's LOUD! The wind noise at 70mph is hugh! Same with a half-helmet. Now I always use a full-face helmet. It makes a big difference in noise and in running into dust, bugs, hail.

:hi:

[hootinholler]

65. I ran through a swarm of something near Salt Lake that were quite tasty.

Kinda sweet, lol.

That was a prior life.

-Hoot

[MineralMan]

18. What vehicles made since the 1990s don't have automatic

headlights that come on when the engine's running and the car's in gear? Even my 91 Volvo has those. If I'm driving, my headlights are one.

[doc03]

25. I have a 2006 Toyota Tacoma, a 1999 Mercury Tracer

and the lights don't come on in either one. The lights are always on on my motor scooter. I don't think running lights count either, I believe the law states headlights.

[DJ13]

35. My 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder doesnt

[flvegan]

46. My 2007 Mazdaspeed 3 doesn't.

I always turn my lights on when I'm driving. First thing I do after I start her up.

[LWolf]

58. Toyota Tacoma.

I leave my lights on; they turn off automatically when I remove the key and open the door, so I just leave them on all the time. I have to turn them on manually, though, to begin with.

[csziggy]

66. I don't know but my husband's car allows him to program it to NOT have them come on

2002 GMC Envoy - lots of stuff can be programmed in it including seat belt warnings and whether or not lights should come on. My 1999 GMC Suburban has lights come on when the truck is turned on, though I can switch it to defeat it. Since I complained (OK, nagged) to Mr. csziggy, he reprogrammed his to have the lights come on when it is in drive. I feel safer with the higher visibility.

[mwb970]

75. My 2001 Ford Focus does not have this feature.

I always turn on my lights in wiper weather, law or no law.

[BreweryYardRat]

78. I've got an '05 Toyota Camry.

Lights are not automatic.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

19. it's been a law here in NY for Years now.

[doc03]

29. Yea but NY is a communist state to start with

You guys practically have a toll both at the end of everyone's drive way don't you?
:hide:

[SmileyRose]

20. Seriously

if you are out there driving in even a mist turn on the damn lights. This is one of the few laws created for public safety and not tax revenue. I know it's easy to say the other driver who needs your lights on as an added helper to avoid smacking into you is just a bad driver or lazy or whatever, but even we who are so CAUTIOUS we piss people off by taking the time to be extra careful can miss a dark car on the grey street in with grey everything else and may whip out right in front of you - turn your lights on. Please.

[Edweird]

21. Just put your headlights on in the rain. That's the point.

[LisaL]

33. My lights just come on when it's dark.

[Edweird]

39. You are able to turn them on manually.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

48. For years, I had no idea how to turn the lights on

they were set to automatic and just came on when it was dark. There's something on the dash that determines if it's light out or not. When I approached a tunnel, and had to turn them on, I'd just throw a hat over the sensor, and the lights would come on.

Eventually, I figured there must be a better way, and so I read the manual. Doh, that's what the funny markings around that knob mean.

:hi:

Now I need a car that knows when it's raining, so it will turn on the wipers and the headlights. That can't be too tough to engineer, right?

[Edweird]

52. Well, if you have the desire, and know someone truly knowledgable

wiring your headlights to come on automatically when your wipers are on is pretty straightforward. One of these :http://www.summitracing.com/parts/VIA-80237/ + a few splices and maybe a short piece of wire and that's it.

[MadHound]

64. Seriously now, if you don't know how to turn your lights on,

What are you doing driving anyway.

I'm not trying to be rude or anything, but that kind of negligence while operating a one ton vehicle is kind of dangerous, and scary for the rest of us out there with you.

[mwb970]

76. So you drove your car for years without knowing how to turn the lights on?

That is something I would never do. How hard can it be to turn on the headlights?

:shrug:

[Warren DeMontague]

23. Fascism! Fascism!

Don't you see, people, They did the EXACT SAME THING in Nazi Germany! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[doc03]

27. I was thinking more like Communism n/t

[Warren DeMontague]

38. If it was communism, you'd have to wait in line 5 hours to get the wiper blades

Jesus fucking Christ on a pogo stick... How could it possibly inconvenience you to have to turn your headlights on? :shrug:

[treestar]

44. A gift to the headlight industry!

[notadmblnd]

24. is that for cars that don't have daytime runnng lights?

my car's lights are on whenever I start it.

[doc03]

26. I don't think running lights count, the law says headlights

so I suppose if a cop wanted to be a prick he could ticket you.

[winyanstaz]

28. yup....

another excuse to get their hands in your pockets.
What a crappy bullshit law.

[a la izquierda]

30. Having just done a cross country trip...

in snow and rain, if the weather is crappy, put on your lights. What is the point of resisting this?

[LisaL]

32. I don't turn lights on in my car. They automatically come on when its

dark.

[MineralMan]

37. You can turn them on manually, I'm sure.

[BrooklineTownie48]

31. windshield wipers and lights OH my

I am not a lawyer, but my first thought/question was "what if I'm cleaning my windshield and my wipers are moving?" It is a sad day when so many laws take precedence over what should/could be common sense. Of course, I must admit, I've noticed there does seem to be shortage of common sense these days.

Perhaps this is an evolutionary thing. Those with less common sense will self destruct?

[Ruby the Liberal]

34. Increasing the visibility of your presence to other drivers on the road helps YOU

If they can't see you as easily, they may be more likely to hit you, pull out in front of you, etc...

Unrec.

[LostInAnomie]

36. It's a shame that they don't respect an individual's ability to make decisions...

... in regards to their own safety.

[bluesbassman]

41. I need to see you, You need to see me. If it saves one life this year,

is that too much of an inconvenience?

[LostInAnomie]

42. Standard defensive driving would solve that problem without the need for a law.

[a la izquierda]

60. Not if it's pouring rain...

when I drove through Arkansas last week, which got 9 inches of rain in spots, it was incredibly difficult to see cars with no lights on at 1 in the afternoon.

But, by all means, don't turn your lights on and make life harder for everyone else.

[liberal N proud]

40. It has actually been law for 6 months

Prior to today you just got a warning for the offense.

My car turns the lights on automatically if the wipers have been on for 10 seconds.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

45. If the wipers are set to "intermittent", can you just flash the lights?

Or do you have to keep them on all the time?

:hi:

[704wipes]

47. +! damn good question

nt

[Robb]

55. Ha! You win the thread! nt

[Fumesucker]

54. Having your lights on in the daytime does not *necessarily* make you more visible to other drivers..

Motorcycles have had headlights on when running for decades now, it's my experience as a long time rider that it makes zero difference as to whether or not other drivers see you, a lot of them won't. In fact you can buy headlight modulators for motorcycles that flicker the lights a few times a second to increase the visibility, flickering lights are far more likely to be seen than constant brightness ones.

In WWII Allied antisubmarine airplanes had lights put on the wings in order to make them less observable by German and Japanese subs cruising on the surface in daytime. Counterintuitive as it may seem, the lights actually made the aircraft more stealthy.

http://boards.history.com/topic/World-War-Ii/Deception-Camouflage-38/520059122

[roseBudd]

56. My Subaru turns my lights off when I remove the key, my lights have been turned on for 9 years....

It's safer. I never have to even think about it & never drive at night with my lights off.

[LWolf]

57. Why?

Because of rain? I guess that makes some kind of sense. Does it cost you $100 if you are using the wiper fluid and wipers to clean your windows without your lights on?

[flvegan]

59. Good.

I'm sure the intention is that if it's raining hard enough for one to need their wipers on, then they should have their lights on. You know, like we all learned in driver's ed?

[Ikonoklast]

63. It's not for you to be able to see.

It's for other drivers to be able to see you in a diminished visibility scenario.

Not a primary offense for ticketing, anyway.


But you do whatever you feel is right, just don't complain when someone hits you in a rainstorm while changing lanes, and YOU get the ticket because your lights weren't on, and the other driver didn't see you.

Stick It To The Man!

[tabbycat31]

67. I think that was always the law here

It was drilled into me by my dad when I was learning to drive.

[BalancedGoat]

69. That always seemed like common sense to me.

It's worth pointing out that the requirement is only for when "windshield wipers of the vehicle are in use because of precipitation on the windshield" and that no officer shall pull over a motorist solely for violation of this new provision.

[donheld]

72. Good

:applause::applause::applause::applause::applause::applause::applause::applause: