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My '91 Euro GT was originally delievered in Germany and has the warning triangle in the orange plastic box exactly as described by Nicole. I put it out on the street sometimes by the driveway when the kids are out playing ball / riding bikes around (we are the second last house on a dead end street, but we still get some lost maniacs peeling rubber).
When it has been out, and I have turned the corner onto our street, I can actually see the damn thing and that is from a measured distance of 1/2 mile.
Funny how/why these safety items are NOT required in the states by the DOT. Pretty much any junker that'll run is legal in GA and FL even if a hood, fender, marker lamps, doors, or wheels/tires of different sizes. As long as it cranks...yer OK down here. If it spews smoke...no problem...helps control mosquitos.
My 99 BMW has a place in the toolkit for said triangle but the original owner told me it did not come with the car when new. What's up with that?!
So, my big question is who sells these damned warning triangle at a reasonable price....the dealer? Big 3?
Tim: I agree that it's quite weird to have all these strict requirements for new cars and importing cars, but once they are here, nobody cares if they are road worthy or safe. It seems like deferring the problem to the insurances after something went wrong...
Anyway, I don't know where to get them in the US. But when the 928 Internationals and DEVEKs take apart a Euro car they might find these things. Maybe worth asking, if they have one lying around. Otherwise I'd check Griot's Garage or do a Google search. Maybe Froogle will work.
Warning...I'm editorializing in this next paragraph (sorry):
I believe that in the case of GA and FL, the so-called inspection law was repealed because it was a joke. You could slip the gas station attendant a $20 (or more) and cha-ching...you're back on the road with bald tires, no brake lights, pumping out smoke like a mosquito truck, and have a muffler dragging the road and one working headlight. It seemed less corrupt when I was in NY state but ya never know. I do know that in ATL GA, they still perform emissions checks...smog is a big problem there. Air quality has suffered big time since it became a "boomtown" as a result (in part) of the 1996 Olympics. Atlanta used to be a livable city...not anymore.
re: the 928 emergency triangle....I'm adding that to my list of must haves for my s4. I will check with 928 Intl and Devek to see if they have one floating around from a Euro Shark.
Originally posted by Nicole These "warning triangles" are required to be in every car in Germany - without it you would not pass vehicle inspection.
They are used in case of an accdient or breakdown, to warn other motorists of a possible hazard. They must be placed a certain distance ahead of the accident or stranded vehicle, so that other drivers have a chance to slow down or change lanes, or whatever.
<SNIP>
Interesting. Found one in the rear of newly aquired 82. It's the only 928 I have that had one with it.
Ha! I'm preferential to the .30 cal "flares" , but I come from big game hunter stock...
In my '83 euro S the white plastic triangle is in a cloth sack and looks utterly unused, even having a little direction sheet im Deutsch regarding the use of the "Warndreieck". The paper is not in the best shape, but from what I read the "warning triangle" became required in April 1966 as a result of the StVSO, which as we all know is the
Strassenverkehrs-Zulassungs-Ordnung, or Overbearing Traffic Regulations.
My translation skills are rusty, so don't quote me on that. also it's the longest German word I've seen in ages with no umlauts.
Originally posted by Nicole Don't the big rigs carry reflective triangles with an orange area inside? They don't have the "!" on white in the middle, though...
They're rather large as well, 18-20" IIRC. I'm assuming the Porsche item is relatively compact.
Thanks Scott M. for the reflector.... you said "make me an offer", I did, and the rest is history.... For the curious, here is what the larger plastic reflector looks like(or at least one variation):
There are a couple more pics of the reflector being removed from the case and set up here.
Really are a good thing to have. I remember my old 500SEL gray-market car still had it's first-aid kit and reflector triangle in it.
Truth be told, many US states do require by law that you carry flares in the car at all times. Obviously, these laws are seldom, if ever enforced - I doubt most of the police in those states even know the laws exist.
As to flares, personally I think something in a 27MM German flare pistol would be most 'shark appropriate', but that's just me...
I never noticed until I saw SharkSkin's pictures: This and my own warning triangles are not the ones that they use in GErmany. In fact, these do not meet the legal requirements for Germany. Over there, the inside of the reflective triangle is white and has a big black exclamation mark. Ours appear to be "Americanized"...
Originally posted by Nicole I never noticed until I saw SharkSkin's pictures: This and my own warning triangles are not the ones that they use in GErmany. In fact, these do not meet the legal requirements for Germany. Over there, the inside of the reflective triangle is white and has a big black exclamation mark. Ours appear to be "Americanized"...
I think that, given the fact that nobody uses these things in the states, the presence of one of these reflectors on the side of the road would be enough of an exclamation mark in and of itself...
Well... it's kind of ironic - you see sooo many stranded cars here at the side of the freeway -- there is not even 10% of that at a German Autobahn. People there drive faster, and probably don't expect cars at the side of the road as much as we do here...
BTW: If you stop on the side of the Autobahn for a reason other than a technical defect or emergency, you can get a serious ticket. A cell phone call would not be an excuse, and you're not allowed to use anything but hands free equipment while driving. They are just trying to keep the traffic flowing...
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