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LETTER: Resident wants drivers using full lighting system around the clock

'The benefit is that at any time of day or night, in any kind of weather, it makes the rear of your vehicle much more visible,' says letter writer
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BarrieToday welcomes letters to the editor at [email protected]. Please include your daytime phone number and address (for verification of authorship, not publication).
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I am one of the few drivers that run with my full lighting system on any time of day or night. 

The benefit is that at any time of day or night, in any kind of weather, it makes the rear of your vehicle much more visible. The potential will reduce rear-end accidents that are not really accidents. Most are due to lack of attention by the rear driver not seeing what is going on ahead of his or her vehicle.

The Ministry of Transportation (MTO) has a lot of folks who could investigate this idea. Perhaps take a lesson from some U.S. states that have some level of enforcement. An example is New York state, that enforces all lighting systems to be activated any time of day when it is raining.

Have you ever tried to see what the car ahead of you is doing when the sun is shining brightly in your windshield? The total lighting system being activated when the ignition is activated is no more trouble than just the head lamps being activated.

Another point to consider is that a lot of drivers believe their lights are on at and after dusk and their dash lights are on.

Frequently, I have had to ask a driver if he knows that his rear lighting system is not working, or if he has just forgot to activate his total system due to the fact that his day time lights seem to satisfy his needs.

I would welcome any response to this important change to the Ontario driving laws and would be wiling to participate in promoting the need.

Stan Walker
Barrie

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