BCT Editorial – 12/5/06

This page was last updated on December 5, 2006.

Lighting up; Editorial; Beaver County Times; December 5, 2006.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject editorial.

“Come the end of January, drivers in Pennsylvania will have to turn on their vehicles’ headlights whenever they have the windshield wipers going.

“The Associated Press reported the new law applies when the wipers are fully on and when they are in intermittent mode. Violators may be fined $25, but fees and other costs will increase the amount to about $100. The law takes effect Jan. 29.

“It’s a good idea. Most drivers have the good sense to turn on their headlights when the sky is dark and dreary. They don’t turn their headlights on to see better. They flick them on to be seen better by other drivers.

“That safety measure eludes some drivers who apparently don’t want to wear out their headlights by overusing them. Perhaps this law will get their attention.

“Some drivers won’t have to worry about this law because their cars and trucks do this automatically. Those whose vehicles aren’t equipped to do this will have to rely on their gray matter until it becomes automatic for them to combine these operations.

“It will be a pain for a while, but in the long run we’ll all be safer because of it.”

[RWC] Did you note the editorial didn’t cite any data/research to support its conclusion that “in the long run we’ll all be safer because of it?”

Don’t get me wrong; I think turning the headlights on when it’s raining usually makes sense. My point is, when people want to convince other people something is the right thing to do, they should show enough respect to present data to support their position.