Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bellcore!whuxcc!lcuxlm!whuxl!houxm!houem!ahn
From: ahn@houem.UUCP (Au H. Nguyen)
Newsgroups: net.cycle
Subject: Re: Daytime high vs low beam
Message-ID: <671@houem.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 14-Oct-86 18:39:15 EDT
Article-I.D.: houem.671
Posted: Tue Oct 14 18:39:15 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 17-Oct-86 10:04:25 EDT
References: <730004@hpfcms.HP.COM>, <730007@hpfcms.HP.COM>
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Holmdel, NJ
Lines: 34

-
In this month's "Motorcyclist"  (with the Honda VFR700F2 vs BMW K75S on the
cover),  there is an article about Dave Thom of USC, the man who did a lot
of the accident data collection for the famous "Hurt Report" of a few years
back.  Among Dave Thom's safety tips is "Use your high beams ...  High beams
are wonderful."

If I remember correctly, the Hurt Report did find that riders who use their
high beams are under-represented in accident statistics compared to not just
clods who use no lights, but also to people who use only low beams.

For myself, when I started riding, circa 1980, the Hurt Report (as reported
in "Motorcyclist" also, incidentally) was one of the first things I read.
Needless to say, I rode with high beams on in the daytime.  Given my level of
experience and the cut-and-thrust of New York City traffic that I rode through
everyday to go to school,  I think the high beams deserve at least some credit.
I never even came close!

Interestingly enough, with my last bike,  I almost always ride with only low
beams.  Partly because I now live in suburbian New Joisee, where traffic is not
quite as intense as Central Park West at 5PM, partly because I now consider
myself to be a more "experienced" and defensive rider, and last but not least,
my high beam is now a 100 watter, which I suppose can be pretty brutal.  (All
right, those twisty roads CAN get really dark, you know  :-)

Anyway, on said Yamaha, I had two very close calls in less than a year.  Left
Turn Larry's, both of them.  The first one I got away with only a scratch on
my fairing  (my fairing kissed the truck's bumper.)  The second one totalled
the bike.

I ride with a 60 watt high beam on during the daytime now.

	Au	ihnp4!houem!ahn