Tag: equipment

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Avoiding High-Beam Blindness

Q: What are the rules and regulations about headlights? It seems like the low-beam headlights on some new vehicles are as bright as an older car’s high-beams. What about the height of headlights on big trucks and SUVs? What’s the best way to handle an oncoming driver that appears to have their high-beams on? Can I flash my high-beams at them?

A: Lots of people get annoyed over how drivers use (or misuse) headlights, and with good reason. I can’t think of any other driving behaviors have the potential to temporarily blind another motorist. Okay, maybe “blind” is hyperbole, but anyone who drives at night knows the experience of encountering an oncoming driver who fails to dim their high-beams, and how much that impacts vision. Continue reading “Avoiding High-Beam Blindness”

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How Dark is Too Dark?

Q: How dark can window tint be on a car?

A: Maybe it’s about the heat. Maybe it’s about the style. Maybe it’s about the privacy. Whatever the reason, many people choose to tint the windows on their cars. Proponents of window tint point to several benefits; big surprise, I’ll start with safety. Window tint is a thin plastic film that goes on the inside of the glass. In a crash, this film can hold together broken glass that would otherwise fly through the car. By design, auto glass breaks into small chunks that are less likely to cause injury compared to jagged shards of glass from, say, a residential picture window, so while the tint film may help, it’s not as significant a safety feature as it first seems to be. Continue reading “How Dark is Too Dark?”

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Turn Signals and Turn Lanes

Q: If I’m in a lane that is designated for right or left turns only, do I really need to use my turn signal?

A: The answer according to Washington’s law is, “Yes.” That answer finds it’s support in RCW 46.61.305, which states, “No person shall turn a vehicle or move right or left upon a roadway unless and until such movement can be made with reasonable safety nor without giving an appropriate signal . . .” Unlike many of the other RCWs we’ve addressed in Road Rules, this one doesn’t have any exceptions. Even in a designated turn lane, a turn signal is required. Continue reading “Turn Signals and Turn Lanes”

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Blinding Brake Lights

Q: I was following a newer Escalade a few nights ago. At a stop sign, when the driver applied the brakes, I was blinded by the stop lights. This sounds like a minor complaint, but it was dark and I couldn’t see for several seconds. The RCW does not address the brightness of rear lighting. What gives?

A: On the face of it, you’re right. If you search the Revised Code of Washington (RCW) you won’t find any statute that specifies a maximum brightness for brake lights. However, I can make a trail from state to federal law that will answer your question. While you will find general vehicle equipment requirements in state law, the federal government regulates the details in the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS). These details are what vehicle manufacturers have to comply with in order to sell a vehicle in the United States. FMVSS 108 covers vehicle lighting. If you have a degree in industrial engineering and an abundance of time you may find it an enjoyable read. For the rest of us, it’s enough to know that one of the charts in the code specifies a minimum and maximum intensity for stop lamps. Continue reading “Blinding Brake Lights”