From: utzoo!decvax!duke!mcnc!ge
Newsgroups: net.auto
Title: Restrictive Headlight Laws
Article-I.D.: mcnc.1287
Posted: Fri Aug 20 08:58:44 1982
Received: Sat Aug 21 02:10:21 1982



	    Having good night vision, I do not need to drive with
	    headlights at night.  Yet I am forced to buy cars with
	    headlights, to use them at night, and at inspection time to
	    have them in good working condition.

	    Of course, using headlights improves your night vision
	    somewhat, BUT SOME PEOPLE DO NOT WANT TO USE THEIR
	    HEADLIGHTS, even at their low price.  The choice is clear
	    and many, many people would prefer to take the risk rather
	    than pay the price of reaching over to turn their
	    headlights on.  That's their choice, and in a 'free
	    country' people are free to take risks, despite the apparent
	    foolishness of such behavior.  Individuals are FREE TO
	    FAIL, free to do foolish or stupid things.

	    The desire of millions of purchasers of automobile to NOT
	    purchase the non-optional headlights is clear.  Millions
	    are being forced to purchase things which they do not want
	    and will not use even after being forced to buy them.

	    The more consistent advocates of using such force claim
	    that we ALL suffer.  What about the difficulty I have in
	    seeing when blinded by others' high beams?  With my
	    headlights out, I am not imposing on their ability to
	    drive, so how do we ALL suffer?

	    The Constitition does not require us to use headlights.
	    Mandatory headlight usage is the result of fluffy-headed
	    knee-jerk bureaucrats who believe that they can legislate
	    'better' behaviour.  They are the ones who have given us
	    speed limits, headlights and airbags.  Europe has shown us
	    that they can do without these things: if they have an
	    automobile mortality rate three times as large as ours,
	    it's because the Frogs and Krauts can't drive anyway!