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STATE OF CALIFORNIA PETE WILSON BULLETIN 876-91-92 FROM: CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF INSURANCE SUBJECT: AUTOMOBILE DIMMER SWITCHES 1. PURSUANT TO THE CALIFORNIA D.M.V. ACT 876-91-92 ALL MOTOR VEHICLES SOLD IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA AFTER JANUARY 1, 1993 WILL BE REQUIRED TO HAVE THE HEADLIGHT DIMMER SWITCH MOUNTED ON THE FLOORBOARD. THE DIMMER SWITCH MUST BE MOUNTED IN A POSITION ACCESSIBLE TO THE OPERATOR BY PRESSING THE SWITCH WITH THE LEFT FOOT. THE SWITCH MUST BE FAR ENOUGH REMOVED FROM THE LEFT PEDAL TO AVOID INADVERTANT OPERATION BY PEDAL CONFUSION. 2. INCLUDED IN THE ABOVE ACT, AND BEGINNING APRIL 1, 1993, ALL OTHER VEHICLES WITH STEERING COLUMN MOUNTED DIMMER SWITCHES MUST BE RETROFITTED WITH A FLOORBOARD MOUNTED DIMMER SWITCH OF THE TYPE DESCRIBED ABOVE. THE STEERING MOUNTED DIMMER SWITCH MUST BE DISABLED AND REMOVED FROM THE VEHICLE. VEHICLES WHICH HAVE NOT MADE THIS CHANGE WILL FAIL THEIR 1993/94 CALIFORNIA STATE EMISSION CONTROL INSPECTION WHICH WILL INCLUDE INSPECTION FOR THE REQUIRED FLOOR MOUNTED DIMMER SWITCH. 3. IT IS RECOQNIZED THAT THIS CHANGE WILL CAUSE SOME HARDSHIP FOR THE DRIVING PUBLIC. HOWEVER, THIS CHANGE IS BEING MADE IN THE INTEREST OF PUBLIC SAFETY. CALIFORNIA D.M.V. ACT 876-91-92 WILL REVERT ALL CALIFORNIA MOTOR VEHICLES TO THE PREVALENT DIMMER SYSTEM IN USE PRIOR TO THE INFLUX OF FOREIGN MARKET VEHICLES. THE ACT WAS PROMPTED BY A RECENT STUDY ENTITLED "INITIATION SEQUENCE IN CALIFORNIA NIGHT TIME HIGHWAY TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS" JOINTLY CONDUCTED BY THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY, THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES, AND THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF RESEARCH. IT WAS CLEARLY SHOWN BY THIS STUDY THAT AS MANY AS 95% OF ALL CALIFORNIA NIGHT TIME HIGHWAY ACCIDENTS ARE CAUSED BY A BLONDE GETTING HER FOOT CAUGHT IN THE STEERING WHEEL WHILE DIMMING THE HEADLIGHTS. |
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