I'm not entirely sure that part of the problem there isn't also the oddball siren sounds we use in the US. I usually pick up on the siren sound quickly enough and frequently have a hard time seeing the fire truck, mainly because I never know which direction to look in. The siren sound is just really hard to localize in traffic/surface street conditions.

 

Or shifting your own gears?

Or double-clutching between gears?

Or pumping your brakes when the wheels lock?

 

They have an auto interior ligths on/off. If you turn on your headlights during the day, your display will not light up...... So the technology is there but it is used differently...

 

Which is my point. The flashing lights don't do a damn bit of good unless you already know where to look. Then they serve to announce right of way. The law says you must give way to a vehicle with flashing lights. But people too damn stupid to see a vehicle the size of a small house moving through stopped traffic are certainly not going to miss my little sports car because I turned on daytime running lights.

The solution is easy. Pretend you're invisible on the road and miss everybody else. Don't expect them to miss you.

Gary

 

Well, I never pumped a brake in my life because I was taught to modulate them instead, and I have no objection to the other two at all. Not on a car designed for sport. I don't insist on it for everyone of course.

But back to the glaring issue: are you really suggesting that flipping a mirror is as difficult as double clutching? Or even finding third from second?

Gary

 

Hmmm? Not on my car they don't.

Gary

 

I agree completely that the best solution is to drive as if everyone else doesn't see you... and be ready to go with your evasive move the instanty that this theory is proven correct.

Of course, taken to an extreme, as some motorists due, just causes them to become traffic obstacles, driving 10mph slower and 8 car lengths behind anyone, taking 20 seconds to execute a lane change, not wanting to go at a yield sign unless the next car coming is a football field away, etc.

The problem with fire-engines is the audible siren as well as the lights.. you cannot draw conclusions about lights just from the fire-engine example. In my neck of the woods stupid people has nothing to do with it.. the visibility at intersections due to terrain, vegetation, buildings and other vehicles makes it impossible sometimes to see the firetruck, lights or not, until its in the intersection, if you are coming at it from the cross street (90degree). If you have a green light, there is no reason, cannot see any truck w/ lights and barely hear a siren off in the distance, it would really help to know - the siren is in front of my, I need to slow down and possibly stop, or the siren is way off behind me or back and to the sides and not coming toward this intersection I'm about to enter.

Parts of the country may be suited to spotting the trucks easier, but thats not the case where I drive.

DLRs are useful when coming at a car head on... seeing them in a shadowy area etc. Technically, its not needed, because, if you stay in your lane, and drivers don't do stupid maneuvers, there is no risk of head-on collision or pulling out in front of a car thats hidden in some odd shadow. But I'm guessing that in some regions, its been shown by experience that the DLRs do provide a statistically significant reduction in accidents.

 

Pumped or modulated.. I think we are talking about the same behavior.

No I'm not suggesting they are easier, I'm saying there are a lot of things on cars that are convenience features that make driving easier but are not really necessary.

I like the added rear visibility I get from my auto-adjusting rear mirrors that will revert to more visibility once I don't have a bunch of cars behind me with headlights on my backside.

I also appreciate the heck out of the dimming side mirrors. Those never had a flip switch on them, as far as I know.

 

Good afternoon gentlemen,

There is a solution for 911 997, Boxster and Cayman 987 and CAYENNE 955 and 957.
I run it on my 997 TT; installed in minutes and almost invisible.
No need to change the original switch

its called PALS, check autolightsystems com website.

Cheers

 

Has anyone tried this product out?