I would think being in the big city, such as I am, one would welcome bright tail lights. Being rear-ended by someone on a cell phone is such a bummer. Seriously, at night or in bad weather, I WANT those bright lights; I need those bright lights. Between distracted SUV drivers and overly tired 18 wheelers, the odds are pretty high against me. Even emergency vehicles with all their lights get hit. And let's not talk about good-ole boy rednecks who "go postal" because you are blocking them from going 90 down the freeway in the right lanes.
I agree, and I don't live in a big city, but rear-enders are far too common and what is really frustrating about them is that there is generally almost nothing that a driver can do to prevent one from happening. My years of motorcycling have caused me to be very cautious and vigilant about using my rear-view mirrors every time I slow or stop on a busy highway, and to think about possible defensive strategies when doing so. Back around 1990 (I'm thinking that's roughly when it was) when the auto-industry was required to put eye-level center brake lights on new vehicles, I recall reading some statistics indicating that those lights reduced the incidence of rear-end collisions by a fairly significant amount, but one wonders whether drivers have since become so habituated to them that they make less of a difference now, nearly 20 years later.
Respectfully, I have no control over the 18-year old girl driving behind me in daddy's borrowed SUV while she's talking on the phone. I'll do anything legal to get her to see me. I'm not ready to get bashed by her and then hope she has insurance.
The comment applies to ALL drivers, which would include the teenager in the SUV behind you. If we all pay attention to our driving, accidents would be significantly reduced.
I think you would have to have realize Houston has about 4 1/2 million documented and undocumented people living here. The freeway traffic is 4 - 6 lanes going in one direction between 55-90 mph with mostly 1 1/2 - 2 car lengths between vehicles. There is not much time for mistakes, reaction, corrections. If something happens, many cars are involved due to the speeds, proximity, and quantity of cars. I won't even talk about the real crazies I see on the freeway, such as motorcyclists racing down the freeway at 120 mph, zig-zagging between cars and lanes, or my favorite totally insane people, the motorcycle guys who stand up on their footpegs and do wheelies at 70 mph on the freeway in traffic. I see drivers reading the paper and playing the flute while going down the road; I bet their reaction time is just really dandy. Rural, city, and big-city driving is all very different. There is not a "one size fits all" way to drive them. I want distracted drives to see my bright tail and brake lights rather than plow into the rear of me as happened to another poster the other day. I can't wait for the day all cars will have sonar separation. On that day I will give up my desire for the prius' bright rear lights.
If you are driving in Houston, you need a lot more than bright tail lights. You need a force field, or at least polarize your hull plating. Tom
