From: ivan@erich.triumf.ca (Ivan D. Reid)
Subject: Re: Accident report
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In article <1992Jun25.132424.20760@prl.philips.nl>, mcardle@prl.philips.nl (Owen McArdle) writes...
>In article <ranck.253@vtvm1.cc.vt.edu> ranck@vtvm1.cc.vt.edu (Wm. L. Ranck) writes:
>--In article <1992Jun23.214330.18592@bcrka451.bnr.ca> whitton@bnr.ca (Mark Whitton) writes:
>--
>-->It turns out that the trailer lights were not hooked up
>-->to the truck.  
>--
>--Yep, basic rule: *Never* expect or believe turn signals completely.
>--Around here, and many other places, people just don't signal at all.
>--And, sometimes the signals aren't working.  Sometimes they get left on.
> 
>	The scary bit about this is the is the non-availability of rear-
>lights at all. Now living in the Netherlands I've learned that the only
>reliable indicators are those red ones which go on at both sides at once -
>some people call them brake lights. Once they light up, expect ANYTHING
>to occur in front of you :-). (It's not just the Dutch though)
> 
>	However I never realised how much I relied on this until I got 
>caught a few times behind someone whose lights didn't work AT ALL. Once 
>I'd sussed it out it wasn't so bad (knowing it is half the battle), but 
>it's a great way to find out that you've been following someone too 
>closely :-). Now I try to check for lights all the time, 'cos that split 
>second can make all the difference (though it shouldn't be necessary, I 
>know),
> 
>Owen.
	What used to peeve me in Canada was the cars with bloody _red_ rear
indicators.  You'd see a single red light come on and think, "Now, is he
stopping but one brake-lamp is not working, or does he have those dumb bloody
_red_ rear indicators?"  This being Survival 101, you have to assume he's
braking and take the appropriate actions, until such time as the light goes
out and on again, after which you can be reasonably certain it's a bloody _red_
rear indicator.

Ivan Reid, Paul Scherrer Institute, CH.     			ivan@cvax.psi.ch
GSX600F, RG250WD.	SI=2.66     "You Porsche. Me pass!"	DoD #484
