Headlamps?

[Tim Powell]

Hey Crew.
OK, I'm going to complain for a minute.
What's up with all these people driving in white-out blizzard conditions with no headlamps on their vehicles?
Help out an old truckdriver that just wants to get older.
Turn on your lights. Better a dead battery than a dead body!
I'm done complaining now. Be safe.

"I have the right to remain silent"
"I simply don't have the ability"

[Monkey Man]

Amen to that brother, I drive on a clear day with the lights on in the M37 as Ann says with it's present colour it is hard to see and impossible to see without the lights on when it's raining (let alone a blizzard). I put the lights on in a regular car when it rains as any car can be hard to see when the weather closes in....

MM

[T. Highway]

Tim,

I hear you brother, I encounter way too many knuckle heads that drive in the early AM, in the rain and or snowing without turning on the lights. My biggest pet peeve is people that don't clear the snow off all of the windows before they hit the road.

Bert

[w30bob]

MM....wow, I never thought about the fact that you really can't see an OD colored vehicle in the dark....never mind the rain. I'm glad you guys brought this up.....I'll make sure to remember it when I get something on the road over here.

regards,
bob

[Brett]

I think a lot of the people on the road these days are not really engaged in the act of driving. Their headlights come on automatically when its dark, so they don't ever think about it. Even if they decided it was a good idea to turn them on, they may not even know how.

My pet peeve is the use of hazard lights when its raining. I get it, you don't want me to run into you because you're scared of the rain and you want to drive 25mph on the interstate. If you're that concerned, Pull off the road, and then put your flashers on. I don't think they realize that on a lot of vehicles, the brake lights and turn signals don't work with the flashers going. And turn signals....

I've gotta stop, I'm getting road rage on a laptop.

Brett

[m37jarhead]

We all know there is no shortage of morons behind the wheel. Bert's comment on those folks not cleaning the snow off glass surfaces is a perfect example.
Ever see someone cleaning ice or snow off their vehicle with a credit card? Then only a little peep hole in front of the driver's windshield (windscreen to MM).
I always liked to creep up along side of them and blar the horn at them. It scares the crap out of them when they think they're about to crash into something.

As driver's of military vehicles, we are the best "defensive" drivers on the road. Our slower than normal, poor braking vehicles demand a good dose of
situational awareness. Lights on, using turn signals, margin of safety from the vehicle in front and head always on a swivel looking for potential problems
with the morons. We will never be able to educate the masses so my thinking is, let 'em go and I'll live to drive safely another day. And.... my cell phone is OFF.
JB

[MSeriesRebuild]

Let me add this info too.

Most older M Series trucks had the small oval tail light lens; dangerous as a heart attack on the highways of today. Why not add the later style composite lights with the larger lens? Much safer for you and other motorist, and it is still considered correct for the vehicle. If you are one that absolutely must have the same lighting as it rolled out the factory door with; trailer your vehicle, it isn't worth the risk with all the driver's out there who do not have a clue about how what you are driving is set up as far as lighting goes. Some owners won't have turn signals on their truck; just because. What they are doing is setting themselves up to be involved in an accident with a high likelyhood of being labeled as the responsible party in causing it. Then comes the insurance Co attorneys with months of legal battles, etc. There are those who feel hand or arm turn signals out the driver's window will still fly today. Get real, the vast majority of drivers on the road today will think you are giving them some obscene gesture or something. Clearance lights were also being added to M Series trucks back in the late 60's early 70's when I was in the military; it is a good idea to add them to your truck for safety; yours as well as other drivers.

Not having proper lighting on your truck only offers more fuel for the folks who are working daily to get these trucks off the road to run on; for gosh sakes; we don't need to be giving them any help.

[RMS]

I found out years ago how important it is to run my Lamps during the day especially hear in bc with all our trees and green vegetation. I also took to having a high visibility vest in the truck in case of brake downs. I also installed seat belts not that the fuzz ever checks they just wave me on.

I did find that backing up my indicators with hand signals works very well in heavy traffic

[Monkey Man]

LOL, Hand signals for the average motorist) Turning left >'---- Turning right ----'< Turning Nasty ,V, Turning very nasty ,I, (I am sure you can visualise what I mean )

MM

[Tim Powell]

Thanks for all the replies Guys!!
Snow, ice, fogged windows and all the electronics are accidents waiting to happen.
I'm trying to put my truck back to original but plan on having a bigger set of lamps as Charles suggesetd to clamp on the back and plug into the trailer plug-in. With the trailer in tow I'll have plenty of lights. I run with my light on in the rig all the time!