Car Headlight Concerns Soon to Be in Season

Dear Traffic Talk:

With the coming of the wintertime commuting season, when most rush-hour driving is done before dawn [or] after dark, I am prompted to write about a serious safety problem.

Anyone who drives during darkness has experienced being blinded by the huge percentage of California drivers whose headlights have never been aimed since they left the factory.

The greatest offenders are the thousands of light and heavy trucks, whose headlights are at eye level of most other drivers to begin with.

The only way a driver can protect himself, at least from cars behind him, is to flip the rearview mirror to the non-glare position. Unfortunately, this also makes it difficult to stay in touch with what is happening to the rear.

The problem is made worse by the significant number of cars with only one working headlight that drive in the high-beam position all the time.

Since there does not appear to be any interest in mandating safety inspections of California automobiles, there seems to be only one way out: Every two years, smog inspections are required before a vehicle can be registered. Why can’t headlight inspection be mandated at the same time?

This would add very little to the cost of the smog inspection, and I believe the vast majority of California drivers would gladly pay $5 or so every two years to be able to drive in greater safety after dark.

Elio Rotolo

Santa Clarita

Dear Elio:

There are no particular laws that force car owners to keep their headlights aimed, but there are other headlight violations for which many drivers frequently get cited, according to the California Highway Patrol.

CHP officers more commonly give higher priority to accident-causing violations, such as speeding, said Sgt. Ernie Garcia, a CHP spokesman.

But among headlight laws officers do enforce are: driving with high beams while too close to other cars or in two-way traffic, driving with only one low beam or driving with brights instead of that burned-out low beam.

The driver who is blinded by the headlights of other vehicles should use mirror adjustments. The drivers of these vehicles--such as tall trucks with lights at other drivers’ eye level--aren’t really breaking any laws.

Properly working lights are particularly important as daylight saving time approaches, Garcia said. But he added that blinding is not a commonly stated reason for accidents.

Dear Traffic Talk:

It’s been said before that the purpose of the carpool lanes is to move traffic faster because those lanes are for high speed.

If that is so, why is there no minimum speed posted?

There have been many times that a slow truck or car with more than one passenger is going below the speed limit or slower than the traffic in the other lanes and it is impossible to pass or leave the lane because of the solid lines.

Louise Kessler

Studio City

Dear Louise:

Unlike some states, California does not have a minimum-speed law for any lanes, according to Garcia.

Drivers in the carpool lanes must obey the same law as the drivers in regular traffic: Generally, they must travel at the natural flow of traffic for that lane.

Motorists who drive slow enough to interfere with the natural flow of traffic--be it in carpool or regular traffic--risk being cited, Garcia said.

And no driver--even in the diamond lanes--is allowed to drive faster than the speed limit, he said.

Readers may submit comments and questions about traffic in the Valley to Traffic Talk, Los Angeles Times, 20000 Prairie St., Chatsworth, Calif. 91311. Include your name, address and phone number. To record your comments, call (818) 772-3303. Fax letters to (818) 772-3385. E-mail questions to valley@latimes.com.