Headlights in Daytime

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tideland Prius @ Apr 15 2006, 12:33 PM) [snapback]240260[/snapback]</div>

I think that in some places it's illegal to drive with your parking lights on. Full headlights on, or nothing.

 

Not really sure, but I think the idea is that parking lights are for when you're parked, and driving with them can send incorrect signals to other drivers. Anyway, I remember hearing that it was illegal. Obviously, traffic laws are at the state level, so there can be big differences from one state to another.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(daniel @ Apr 15 2006, 04:39 PM) [snapback]240298[/snapback]</div>

California's driver handbook, 2006 edition, states "Never drive with just your parking or fog lights" and "Don’t drive with only your parking lights on". That text (in bold face) appears on this page of the online version. However, I don't know if that rule actually appears in the Vehicle Code. It may be there as a recommended safe driving practice rather than as The Law.

 

CALIFORNIA CODES
VEHICLE CODE
SECTION 24800-24802

24800. No vehicle shall be driven at any time with the parking lamps lighted except when the lamps are being used as turn signal lamps or when the headlamps are also lighted.

So, technically, the "fogs with parking lights" mod would be illegal here in California. The word "fog" didn't turn up anything, so I don't know about driving with just the fog lights (assuming such a mod was made).

And here's something interesting, which could indicate we're slowing down:

25251.5. (a) Any motor vehicle may also be equipped with a system in which an amber light is center mounted on the rear of a vehicle to communicate a component of deceleration of the vehicle, and which light pulses in a controlled fashion at a rate which varies exponentially with a component of deceleration.
(B) Any motor vehicle may be equipped with two amber lamps on the rear of the vehicle which operate simultaneously with not more than four flashes within four seconds after the accelerator pedal is in the deceleration position and which are not lighted at any other time. The lamps shall be mounted at the same height, with one lamp located on each side of the vertical centerline of the vehicle, not higher than the bottom of the rear window, or if the vehicle has no rear window, not higher than 60 inches. The light output from each of the lamps shall not exceed 200 candlepower at any angle horizontal or above. The amber lamps may be used either separately or in combination with another lamp.

There was a recent post about a type of lamp to indicate "regenerating..."

 

I found the fog light section of the CA vehicle code. Don't know why my earlier search for "fog" turned up nothing, but a search for "light" naturally turned up a lot.


24405. (a) Not more than four lamps of the following types showing to the front of a vehicle may be lighted at any one time:
(1) Headlamps.
(2) Auxiliary driving or passing lamps.
(3) Fog lamps.
(4) Warning lamps.
(5) Spot lamps.
(6) Gaseous discharge lamps specified in Section 25258.
(B) For the purpose of this section each pair of a dual headlamp system shall be considered as one lamp.
© Subdivision (a) does not apply to any authorized emergency vehicle.


24406. Except as otherwise provided, the headlamps, or other auxiliary driving lamps, or a combination thereof, on a motor vehicle during darkness shall be so arranged that the driver may select at will between distributions of light projected to different elevations, and the lamps may, in addition, be so arranged that the selection can be made automatically.

So 24405 says we can run fogs and headlamps together, which we naturally do.

While 24406 doesn't specifically address fog lamps, it might be possible to claim the fogs are auxiliary driving lamps.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Rick Auricchio @ Apr 16 2006, 09:54 AM) [snapback]240508[/snapback]</div>

California 24800 VC. Thank you, Rick! I'd missed that code section somehow.

 

http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/calaw.html is a good site for looking up California Legal Codes, including the Vehicle Code.

 

Yup, parking lights are for, uh, parking. Headlights are for after dark and in the rain. Fog lights are for....

Most of my fellow drivers in Florida are very confused about these issues - but I have faith that they can be educated one GM driver at a time (grin).

This thread actually points out one of the great things about the Prius. It gives you a choice about your headlights being on or off. For people that think it adds visability, it lets you leave your lights on all the time (Please stick to the low beams - they are more than sufficient), and for people like me who violently HATE daytime running lights it lets us turn them off and not blind others.

I was so happy to find this was the case since the Prius tends to be so automated, but once again, Toyota did the right thing.

-Ken

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Ken Sturrock @ Apr 16 2006, 01:53 PM) [snapback]240572[/snapback]</div>

But since the Prius doesn't really have fog lights, it has driving lights, they must be for.... driving!

If the parking lights have to be on while driving lights are on without headlights then thats fine since the parking ligts are on with your headlights anyways.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(benighted @ Apr 16 2006, 11:17 PM) [snapback]240715[/snapback]</div>

This Prius is made for Drivin', and that's just what it'll do... B)

-Ken
06 Seaside Perl Prius
03 White MR2 Spyder