# Wisdom from Daniel Stern for drivers and pedestrians and even parents



## Alaric Darconville (Dec 11, 2018)

Came across this a bit late for the switch from Daylight to Standard Time, but eventually most of us will switch back to Daylight Time: https://drivingintherealworld.com/turning-back-time-a-strike-against-pedestrians-literally/

One thing he did leave out (shame on you, Daniel!) is to not run fog lamps to "supplement" headlamps in normal driving, even in twilight hours absent real *need*; they'll reduce your ability to see.

For you drivers (and parents of young drivers, and friends of drivers), there's a lot you can do to help mitigate the risk to pedestrians and cyclists by checking for false upgrades to your kids'/friends' lighting. Remind them also to keep safety vests in their cars, and to be particularly vigilant for two-wheeled/non-wheeled persons. And unicyclists, too, I suppose.

Additionally, cyclists, PLEASE walk your bikes through the crosswalks, instead of pedaling through. If you want to ride your bike while crossing a street, then be in an actual *lane*, _with_ cars, obeying the automotive traffic signals, instead of reënacting scenes from your favorite Kevin Bacon movie and switching about as your wants suit you.


----------



## fyrstormer (Dec 11, 2018)

Where I live, in the part of Maryland immediately surrounding Washington DC, I have never seen such uniformly incompetent use of car headlights. I used to think Maryland was a nanny-state with all of its signs instructing people to turn on their headlights in specific locations, but now I understand those extra laws and signs exist in Maryland because Maryland drivers are idiots. It's as if every Maryland driver learned a different set of driving laws, and none of them were paying attention in class. I've lost count of the number of times I've nearly been T-boned as I start to pull through a blinking-red-light intersection, only to see a car approaching the intersection _with all of its lights off in the middle of the freaking night_. Still, I classify them as being less dangerous on-average than the cars with illegal HID retrofits and "auxiliary driving lights" aimed high enough that they blind me _in my second floor apartment_, simply because there are _fewer_ cars driving around with no lights.

I wish warnings like the one you linked would actually do something useful, but they won't, because most of the people who care already know, and most of the people who don't know don't care.


----------



## Msquare (Feb 27, 2019)

I'm pretty sure the drivers in Washington (State) could give the Maryland drivers a run for their money. Over thirty years as a firefighter and I'm still amazed at what I see in the night!


----------

