Drivers Are Looking for Light on Freeway Signs

Ah, the open road at night. It is the topic of dozens of memorable classic rock tunes.

Remember “Hotel California”? Or “Radar Love”? And who can forget “Born to Run”?

But some late-night motorists in Southern California are singing the blues about being behind the wheel after dark. The problem, they say, is a lack of lighting on freeway signs.

Several readers wrote to Behind the Wheel complaining that Life in the Fast Lane can be pretty scary After Midnight. When you are Goin ‘Mobile, they said, you need to see the signs so you don’t miss the Crossroads.

Frank Wissler of Newbury Park wondered why motorists Can’t Get No Satisfaction from the California Department of Transportation.

Question: Is this some sort of energy-saving thing?

Answer: Indeed, it is an “energy-saving thing.” But it wasn’t the most recent energy crisis that put some freeway signs in the dark. The lights on many were turned off nearly 30 years ago during the previous big energy crisis. A state study in the 1970s found that turning off nonessential freeway lights would save the state $70 million to $80 million over 20 years.

According to Caltrans spokeswoman Deborah Harris, there are only a few types of freeway signs that are required to have lighting. These include directional signs with arrows and “action signs” that advise motorists to merge, make a lane change or exit. Signs in areas where fog and darkness are a problem are also supposed to be lighted.

Still, that is not much comfort for motorists who are stuck in Darkness on the Edge of Town trying to make those Night Moves.

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Speaking of lighting, Dennis McGillis of Irvine wrote to ask what became of the proposal discussed several years ago to require that all vehicles have daytime running lights.

Q: Many cars have the lights come on automatically, but many also do not. What gives?

A: In the mid-1980s, the federal government was considering a proposal to require that all vehicles have lights that shine during the day.

Such laws exists in Canada, Denmark, Finland, Hungary and other nations. Studies in some of those countries and in the U.S. have shown that daytime running lights help reduce some daylight collisions.

Still, a spokeswoman for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said the agency is not sold on the idea, because the foreign studies were based on accident rates in higher-latitude countries with fewer daylight hours at some times of the year. She also said the U.S. studies relied on only a small data sample and thus are considered scientifically invalid.

Nonetheless, several car companies, including General Motors, Saab, Volkswagen and Volvo, have voluntarily installed daytime running lights in most newer models. GM thinks they are such a bright idea that the company has petitioned the federal government to mandate the lights.

But there are many motorists who complain that daytime running lights create glare for other drivers. The National Motorists Assn. has even printed anti-daytime lights bumper stickers that read “Sun’s Up. Lights Off. Thank You.”

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When you drive in Southern California, you can’t help but notice the freeway landscaping. After all, the average freeway speeds are now about 30 mph. What else can we do but stare at the shrubs along the shoulders?

David Wood of West Hollywood isn’t happy with what he sees. He wonders why Caltrans is not doing more to clean up the knee-high weeds, dead plants and wilting trees, primarily on the Hollywood and Ventura freeways between downtown Los Angeles and Woodland Hills.

Q: Have they ever heard of water?

A: Caltrans spokeswoman Jeanne Bonfilio said contractors are working on several improvement projects along the Hollywood Freeway. In most cases, she said, the contractors are expected to fix up the landscaping after the heavy construction work is done.

Plus, she said, one contractor who was working on a rehab project on the Ventura Freeway west of the San Diego Freeway defaulted on the job, leaving the construction work and landscaping unfinished.

The way things are going with the state budget crisis, freeway landscaping is not likely to get much more attention in the future. Don’t be surprised if Caltrans changes the name of the Adopt-a-Highway program to Adopt-a-Weed Patch.

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Merging is definitely a skill that is lacking on Southern California freeways.

Rich Dobson of Orange wrote to complain about the interchange where the Costa Mesa and Santa Ana freeways meet in Tustin. He griped about a scary section where carpoolers from the Santa Ana must merge into one carpool lane with carpoolers from the Costa Mesa.

Q: Which driver should yield to the other in this situation? My daughter said, “The guy with the biggest engine should go first.”

A: It seems as if most Southern California drivers abide by the biggest-engine-has-the-right-of-way rule. But that is not how it is supposed to work.

California Highway Patrol Lt. Wayne Bridges said merging freeway lanes should be marked with signs that tell motorists who must yield.

As a general rule, he said, if such a sign is missing, the vehicle in the lane that is terminating must yield to the vehicle in the lane that is continuing.

Confused? It’s no wonder most people abide by the bigger-engine-gets-the-right-of-way rule.

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A recent Behind the Wheel column poked fun at Winona Ryder’s attorney for pulling out of a Beverly Hills courthouse after her trial in a Porsche that was missing the front license plate.

Several readers wrote to suggest that the most likely reason the plate was missing was not that it had fallen off or been stolen. They said owners of expensive sports cars often don’t install the plates for aesthetic reasons.

As one reader put it: “Front license plates look DORKY!”

Another wrote: “It’s just that one spends a lot of money on his car and wants an unobstructed view of its fine craftsmanship.”

Well, if aesthetics are such a big concern, why not just remove those bulky bumpers and those ugly protruding side-view mirrors?

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If you have a question, gripe or story idea about driving in Southern California, write to Behind the Wheel, 202 W. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA 90012, or send an e-mail to behindthewheel@latimes.com.