I'll say right off that until recently I ran a 2 rotator mini-bar on my truck. I chased the deep south, GA and AL mostly, and found it pretty useful. That being said, I would have removed the light before going out to the plains for a trip, as I don't personally see myself needing it very often out there. Visibility is pretty good out west. Roads are usually pretty straight, and trees aren't quite as much of a problem. That's all personal preference though. I'd be willing to bet there are chasers out west that would disagree with me.
In Georgia, my primary stomping ground, roads other than interstates (which were damn few and far between) tended to be winding, hilly affairs slammed by trees on both sides. Add to that the fact that virtually every storm down there was HP, visibility sucked always. Trees and assorted debris blocking the road was almost assured after even average summer thunderstorms, and the light came in handy when stopped on the side of the road at those sorts of situations. I think it got people to look up a little sooner and slow down in a little safer manner. I watched vehicles on two separate occasions just plow right into big pine trees laying across the road in pretty decent visibility.
I was rear-ended while pulled off (completely in the grass, no less!) at a tree blocking the road a couple years back. Pretty minimal damage to my vehicle, a couple of dents and scuffs, but the moron that hit me must have had a real interesting discussion with her insurance agent. I put the light on after that, and I think I've only used it while moving 3 times since, and all three were what I'd consider pretty emergent circumstances. Other than that, its only when I'm stopped and feel vulnerable due to poor visibility. Even then, I've started carrying road flares for road blockages, as I think it gets attention without drawing their gaze away from the road so much.
It's interesting that this is such a hot-button issue to so many different groups. Volunteer fire departments have exactly the same discussion over and over. Research shows that generally, you're less likely to be hit if you have a warning light on your vehicle. At the same time, there is some research that says people are more likely to hit vehicles *other* than yours when you run lights. It will be interesting to see how many states start to regulate emergency lights more carefully in the near future.
I was thinking in a daily driving sense. Still though I doubt it would do much damage to these lights. They are built for offroad use and are tougher than they look. Many of the manufactures make a polycarbonate lens cover for additional protection. Mainly for the Baja use where rocks are being launched at them from other trucks.
Yup....I bet. SPF 100 there.
