Here’s mud in your eye!
Wash your face. Wash your hands before dinner. Did you wash behind your ears? These are all things we’ve heard growing up from our parents and now as we get older and – umm – more responsible, we’re supposed to keep washing, right? Well, not so much as it appears.
I recently saw this vehicle parked in a parking lot. There was still snow on the ground and not a lot of mild days, but somehow the driver of this vehicle found mud. Reminds me of my son; he’ll find mud and dirt around a pool. Anyway, where ever this driver found the mud is irrelevant. The problems this driver faces can also be shared with drivers behind them and the passengers in this vehicle.
The driver at least used the rear wiper and washer to make a “clean” patch to see what was behind them. Good plan! Well, sort of. The limited view that the rear wiper gives them is just that; limited. That view may not see all of the risks approaching them from behind. It’s like having a small porthole to see out of. Not the greatest of ideas, especially when there’s a bigger window that underneath all of that mud.
Even if the driver couldn’t find time to wash the vehicle completely, perhaps heading off to the gas station to use the squeegee to clean the rear window was in order. It would only take them roughly two minutes to make that stop and clean the rear window. Considering one of the most common types of collisions within our society is a rear crash, why not make the effort to see what’s behind you? You can’t avoid a rear crash if you don’t know it’s about to happen. And really, what’s two minutes out of your trip?
Now, let’s take a look at the tail lights and the brake lights. It’ll be difficult for drivers following behind them to quickly notice when the driver ahead is braking. If it’s a gradual braking effort, it’s not as big a deal. But if the driver had to quickly hit their brakes, the driver following them wouldn’t have as much notification of their slowing and possibly rear end that lead driver.
So while you’re cleaning the rear window with your squeegee, clean off the brake lights as well. Hey, you may as well clean off ALL of the lights – front and back. Do the side windows and mirrors too. This all of this visibility, you probably won’t miss anything when you’re driving; except for maybe the mud.
What is your take on cars with those ridiculous black light covers? I saw a car yesterday with its back lights covered by not red, but some crazy black, plastic. This made the lights too dark and I didn’t even notice that he was braking until the lights darkened even further!!! Thankfully, he wasn’t right in front of me for too long, but I dread to think how many accidents might be caused if someone doesn’t notice that this car is braking and doesn’t slow down accordingly. I’ve seen cars where the red plastic has broken off so their brake lights shine white when they hit the pedal, but it’s generally not too much of a stretch to figure out what they’re trying to do if they’re slowing down and still moving forward. But the black lights were really worrisome!!!
Having added items placed on your vehicle to enhance the look is fine, unless it reduces the safety aspect of the vehicle and for the drivers around it. Look after the vehicle to help yourself and those around you. Thanks again for your comment Amber!
Very true- I actually keep a pack of wipes in my car SPECIFICALLY designed to help me clean my windshield on the go. Driving with a dirty and cloudy windshield is incredibly dangerous
A lot of people harbor negative ideas about personal injury lawyers, but almost all the cases we take involving a driving accident. The other driver was almost always distracted (texting!), intoxicated or was driving negligently. Almost all serious car accidents are preventable with a little bit of precaution and common sense