Idiot Things The Yaris Does

[bronsin]

When you turn the "headlights" on in the dark nothing apparent happens because the "safety" DRL are already on. So...if you are driving from lit to unlit conditions its EASY to forget to turn your headlights on. Which means you have no parking lights!

NOW we have a REAL problem folks!

As a motorcyclist for 300,000 miles and 35 years without an accident I know safety. Accidents are caused by incredibly brain dead moments. Usually on the part of the other motorist. (in my case)

It is impossible to make a car react to the brain dead motorist. The driver has to do it. Safety comes from the driver NOT the car.

If you ride a motorcycle and think ABS, traction control, headlites on in the day etc etc are going to "save" you from an accident you are in for a rude awakening.

Of course the excuse is "Well it might help."

No...it will NOT help! It will only make trouble like DRLs.

[Betrivent]

DRLs arent' for the driver though, they're for other cars to see that they are in fact, running cars and not parked ones. The issue is that the instrument pabnels is always lit. If they linked the cluster to the headlight switch people SHOULD NOT forget to turn them on.

[bronsin]

Originally Posted by Betrivent

DRLs arent' for the driver though, they're for other cars to see that they are in fact, running cars and not parked ones. The issue is that the instrument pabnels is always lit. If they linked the cluster to the headlight switch people SHOULD NOT forget to turn them on.

Ah but the fact is THEY DO! I used to work second shift and come home at midnight. It was very common to see people driving without parking lights on. They start the car, the headlights are on, and they dont think to turn them all the way on.

If there were not DRLs then they would have to turn their headlites (and so the tail lights) on.

[MUSKOKA800]

My dash lights only illuminate when the headlights are turned on. No insturment lighting in DRL mode here in Canada. There is also a dash light which illuminates when the headlights are switched on. Same with the fogs.

[WeeYari]

^ incorrect. My dash lights are on in DRL mode, and dim when headlights are switched on.

[MadMax]

No DRLs, but I just have gotten into the habit of always driving with my lights on.

Unfortunately, since I've removed the door chimes in the Jeep (so I can run without doors! ), it is up to me to remember that my lights are on. A few times I've forgotten! Now I've gotten into the habit of always walking in front of the Jeep after parking it to make sure I've turned off the headlights!

I am becoming a creature of habit!

Oh, and yes, I ride as well. I've got two Hondas parked in the garage, been riding for about as long as you have; but in this country and throughout Europe.

Cheers! M2

[bronsin]

Originally Posted by MadMax

Oh, and yes, I ride as well. I've got two Hondas parked in the garage, been riding for about as long as you have; but in this country and throughout Europe.

Cheers! M2

Awesome to ride in Europe.

Are there deserted places there to ride in like here?

[MadMax]

Originally Posted by bronsin

Awesome to ride in Europe.

Are there deserted places there to ride in like here?

You don't have to find places away from traffic, Europeans know how to drive and respect motorcycles. I never feared for my life like I do in traffic in this country. I have lanesplit at triple-digit speeds during rush-hour traffic out of Brussels, or rode across Germany on the autobahns at 120+ MPH for hours on end and felt safer than I do riding here.

It is one of the reasons I don't commute to work on the bikes anymore, it's just to damn dangerous the way people drive. They're too busy texting, eating, putting on make-up or simply not paying attention.

These days if I get the bikes out at all, it is to the Texas Hill Country where the only things you have to worry about is deer or armadillos strolling out into the road!

Cheers! M2

[bronsin]

Huh interesting.

My defense mechanisms are so honed that I could never trust ANYONE anytime anywhere while riding a motorcycle.

Just the other day I was going to work and was on a divided six lane unlimited access strech of road. I was in the left lane passing a line of cars when one of them changed lanes into my path. He was looking at his lap (texting?) I have a rule. When you see someone do something stupid they will do ANOTHER thing stupid. Rather than speed up and edge around him I slowed down and changed lanes stage right. About another 200 yards down the road stupid drifted right into the dividing wall between the spilt highway. I was 100 yards behind him and to the right when he came to a stop sideways in the middle of traffic. About half a dozen cars either hit him or one another as they tried to avoid numbnuts.

If I did anything other than what I did I would have been in that mess.

People respecting motorcycles...

That would take all the fun out of it!

Originally Posted by MadMax

You don't have to find places away from traffic, Europeans know how to drive and respect motorcycles. I never feared for my life like I do in traffic in this country. I have lanesplit at triple-digit speeds during rush-hour traffic out of Brussels, or rode across Germany on the autobahns at 120+ MPH for hours on end and felt safer than I do riding here.

It is one of the reasons I don't commute to work on the bikes anymore, it's just to damn dangerous the way people drive. They're too busy texting, eating, putting on make-up or simply not paying attention.

These days if I get the bikes out at all, it is to the Texas Hill Country where the only things you have to worry about is deer or armadillos strolling out into the road!

Cheers! M2

[eTiMaGo]

Originally Posted by bronsin

Huh interesting.

My defense mechanisms are so honed that I could never trust ANYONE anytime anywhere while riding a motorcycle.

Just the other day I was going to work and was on a divided six lane unlimited access strech of road. I was in the left lane passing a line of cars when one of them changed lanes into my path. He was looking at his lap (texting?) I have a rule. When you see someone do something stupid they will do ANOTHER thing stupid. Rather than speed up and edge around him I slowed down and changed lanes stage right. About another 200 yards down the road stupid drifted right into the dividing wall between the spilt highway. I was 100 yards behind him and to the right when he came to a stop sideways in the middle of traffic. About half a dozen cars either hit him or one another as they tried to avoid numbnuts.

Yeah it's the only way to survive here too, especially on two wheels, gotta keep asking yourself, what is the most insane thing each other driver could do, and expect it to actually happen... Just last week I had a motorcyclist come out of a side road without even looking and cutting right across into the inner lane, into my path... Luckily he reacted to the horn and stuck to the outer lane!

[MadMax]

Originally Posted by bronsin

Huh interesting.

My defense mechanisms are so honed that I could never trust ANYONE anytime anywhere while riding a motorcycle.

Just the other day I was going to work and was on a divided six lane unlimited access strech of road. I was in the left lane passing a line of cars when one of them changed lanes into my path. He was looking at his lap (texting?) I have a rule. When you see someone do something stupid they will do ANOTHER thing stupid. Rather than speed up and edge around him I slowed down and changed lanes stage right. About another 200 yards down the road stupid drifted right into the dividing wall between the spilt highway. I was 100 yards behind him and to the right when he came to a stop sideways in the middle of traffic. About half a dozen cars either hit him or one another as they tried to avoid numbnuts.

If I did anything other than what I did I would have been in that mess.

People respecting motorcycles...

That would take all the fun out of it!

You wold be surprised at how different (and enjoyable) it is! In Europe, when you come up behind a car, they will move over to give you room to pass. Traffic coming in the opposite direction will also move to their right to give you room to pass down the middle on two-way roads. It's nice because it lets you know they are aware you are there. It did take some getting used to at first, especially since I had previously been riding in the States; but it doesn't take long to adapt and honestly, it is considerably more pleasant to ride when drivers recognize and respect your presence on the road.

The horror comes when you return to the States and have to resort to the necessary self-preservation tactics required with the brain-dead drivers in this country (those on this board being the exception, of course! )

Needless to say, I miss riding in Europe considerably!

Cheers! M2

[eTiMaGo]

Hatch owners, look at your climate control knobs for a reminder if the headlights are on or not :)

[The Limo]

In my 2007 Canadian sedan when the car is running only the rectangle with the fuel gauge, odometer and clock has a light on. The speedometer light is off. When the light stalk turns the lights on, then the speedometer light and a little light above the rectangle comes on as well as the rectangle dims somewhat. On my car it is impossible to drive at night and not know the headlights and tail lights are off (only running on DRLs) as the speedometer light is off.
Roy

[bronsin]

Originally Posted by The Limo

In my 2007 Canadian sedan when the car is running only the rectangle with the fuel gauge, odometer and clock has a light on. The speedometer light is off. When the light stalk turns the lights on, then the speedometer light and a little light above the rectangle comes on as well as the rectangle dims somewhat. On my car it is impossible to drive at night and not know the headlights and tail lights are off (only running on DRLs) as the speedometer light is off.
Roy

Hmm good point. The only flaw I can find in your argument is these people driving without their headlights turned on are MORONS amd hence immune to the laws of common sense.

My 2009 US 3 door hatchback has the speedo lit up at max brightness without the headlights switched on. When I switch the headlights on the brightness go to the full dim setting I have them on.

[eTiMaGo]

the sedan has "traditional" gauges but the hatch has fancy "optitron" gauges, meaning they are always lit, or you would not see anything!

[bronsin]

I hope his life insurance is paid up.

[ilikerice]

bottom line:

Always defensive driving and alert for others.

and stay off your cell phones.

[fnkngrv]

Originally Posted by ilikerice

bottom line:

Always defensive driving and alert for others.

and stay off your cell phones.

Here is an interesting fact that I learned while I was station in Korea: There are roughly, at least there was at the turn of the century, 12 million folks residing in Seoul. On their New Year's Eve the statistics, not sure how they came up with them, estimated that over 10 million of the folks were on the roads driving while intoxicated. Not necessarily drunk, but still inebriated. Even with this they have less issues with accidents then we have in our cities in the US even when folks are sober. The primary reason for this? They are raised to drive offensively rather than defensively. I lean more towards driving offensively personally and it has served me well in the 20 years I have been driving. This is both in autos and on motorcycles as I tested for my motorcycle license 6 months after my auto license (15 yrs old and then right after turning 16).

I completely agree with you on the mobile phone part. I have attempted to reduce my guilt on this one by using Voice-to-Text functionality.


As for the headlights part I trained myself years ago to always turn my headlights on as soon as my motor has been started and then off just as I exit.

I wish that I could think of an idiot thing that our car does, but right now coming up empty.

Then again I have the sedan. I can say something that I am entirely perplexed on which would be why the sedan doesn't have a driver's side glove box and the hatch does? I can only hazard to guess that it was an engineering thing, but one of the folks over at MI just cut into his dash to reveal plenty of space in front of the steering wheel on the sedan to accommodate another glove box.