Auto Headlights
I am used to driving GM vehicles, where the automatic daytime running lights are such that it is difficult if not almost impossible to turn them off when it is dark out. On a few occasions where I wanted to turn the lights out at night, such as to see Christmas decorations at a display in the park, I gave up after trying to find the instructions in the owners manual.
However, the first time I got my TCH and went out at night, I freaked out because it took me a few blocks to realize my lights weren't on and I didn't know it at first. I was VERY SURPRISED that with an accidental flick of the wrist one can disable the automatic lights feature of the TCH and not even be aware of it. And yet the car beeps at you forever if you don't have your seat belt on.
And today I was rolling down the interstate in heavy rain after dusk, and around me comes a newer Toyota Avalon, with the driver blissfully unaware that she had no lights on. I flashed my brights, and flicked my lights on and off several times in her rearview window, and she ignored me, perhaps dismissing me as some sort of road rage lunatic.
She got off the interstate and made several left turns, amazingly never getting in a collision.
Personally, I question this design by Toyota. It seems too easy to accidentally turn the lights off and not know it. Fortunately, my TCH has nav, so when the lights are off the display screen is really bright. Otherwise, the only indicator is a small icon in the dash that indicates the headlights are on or off.
Does anybody else think this is bad design?
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