It bothers me that my S won't keep the parking lights on when I turn the switch to parking lights, and I leave the car. As soon as I open the door to get out... they go off. Tsk! tsk! tsk!... this right here is Tesla's error.
Sometimes I just want my car to be marked at dusk, because, you know, safety. I stop to get the mail on a rural road in the dead of winter, and it's dark, and no matter what position I select on the light switch... all lights go off when I open the door. I am standing there on the road in the dark. My car is dark. This is stupid.
It's a real concern of mine, and I figured this must be a safety hazard... and sure enough some quick random google searches point out this is non-compliant behavior...
Here's the state of Washington, for example. The underlined part is mine.
RCW 46.37.150
Lamps on vehicles—Parked or stopped vehicles, lighting requirements.
(1) Every vehicle shall be equipped with one or more lamps, which, when lighted, shall display a white or amber light visible from a distance of one thousand feet to the front of the vehicle, and a red light visible from a distance of one thousand feet to the rear of the vehicle. The location of said lamp or lamps shall always be such that at least one lamp or combination of lamps meeting the requirements of this section is installed as near as practicable to the side of the vehicle which is closest to passing traffic.
(2) Whenever a vehicle is lawfully parked upon a street or highway during the hours between a half hour after sunset and a half hour before sunrise and in the event there is sufficient light to reveal any person or object within a distance of one thousand feet upon such street or highway, no lights need be displayed upon such parked vehicle.
(3) Whenever a vehicle is parked or stopped upon a roadway or shoulder adjacent thereto, outside an incorporated city or town, whether attended or unattended, during the hours between a half hour after sunset and a half hour before sunrise and there is insufficient light to reveal any person or object within a distance of one thousand feet upon such highway, such vehicle so parked or stopped shall be equipped with and shall display lamps meeting the requirements of subsection (1) of this section.
(4) Any lighted head lamps upon a parked vehicle shall be depressed or dimmed.
This is public plea to get Tesla to make it right.
And before you tell me... NO, I don't think it's reasonable to expect a person to roll down the window, get out, shut door, reach in through the window over to the console and move lighting switch to "parking" position. (Yes, this will cause the parking lights to come on and is the only way I have found to get them on when the car is parked and nobody is in it.)
If you too are concerned about this situation you can do what I do as a work around... turn on the hazard flashers. These aren't parking lights but can save you from getting hit.
Sometimes I just want my car to be marked at dusk, because, you know, safety. I stop to get the mail on a rural road in the dead of winter, and it's dark, and no matter what position I select on the light switch... all lights go off when I open the door. I am standing there on the road in the dark. My car is dark. This is stupid.
It's a real concern of mine, and I figured this must be a safety hazard... and sure enough some quick random google searches point out this is non-compliant behavior...
Here's the state of Washington, for example. The underlined part is mine.
RCW 46.37.150
Lamps on vehicles—Parked or stopped vehicles, lighting requirements.
(1) Every vehicle shall be equipped with one or more lamps, which, when lighted, shall display a white or amber light visible from a distance of one thousand feet to the front of the vehicle, and a red light visible from a distance of one thousand feet to the rear of the vehicle. The location of said lamp or lamps shall always be such that at least one lamp or combination of lamps meeting the requirements of this section is installed as near as practicable to the side of the vehicle which is closest to passing traffic.
(2) Whenever a vehicle is lawfully parked upon a street or highway during the hours between a half hour after sunset and a half hour before sunrise and in the event there is sufficient light to reveal any person or object within a distance of one thousand feet upon such street or highway, no lights need be displayed upon such parked vehicle.
(3) Whenever a vehicle is parked or stopped upon a roadway or shoulder adjacent thereto, outside an incorporated city or town, whether attended or unattended, during the hours between a half hour after sunset and a half hour before sunrise and there is insufficient light to reveal any person or object within a distance of one thousand feet upon such highway, such vehicle so parked or stopped shall be equipped with and shall display lamps meeting the requirements of subsection (1) of this section.
(4) Any lighted head lamps upon a parked vehicle shall be depressed or dimmed.
This is public plea to get Tesla to make it right.
And before you tell me... NO, I don't think it's reasonable to expect a person to roll down the window, get out, shut door, reach in through the window over to the console and move lighting switch to "parking" position. (Yes, this will cause the parking lights to come on and is the only way I have found to get them on when the car is parked and nobody is in it.)
If you too are concerned about this situation you can do what I do as a work around... turn on the hazard flashers. These aren't parking lights but can save you from getting hit.
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