Rear wiper (non) use....

RNDDUDE

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 29, 2011
Location
Valencia Ca.
TDI
2011 Jetta Sportwagen TDI
So today it is raining in Los Angeles, I am on my 70 mile commute to work, dealing with the plethoria of jackknifed big rigs and assorted other car crash mayhem that accompanies rain here. It is pre-dawn, and I of course am running both front and rear wipers on my JSW, and I am taking note of how dramatically the rear wiper improves my visibility. So out of sheer boredom on what will become a 2+ hour drive, I start taking notice of all the vehicles around me that have rear-mounted wipers....virtually every SUV, wagon, and minivan ever made has them, along with quite a few other vehicle models from subaru, kia, mini, all prius, scion, etc. heck even fiat 500 has one. But here is the thing, in the entirety of my drive in the rain, NOT ONE, let me repeat that, NOT ONE has their rear wiper on! I am talking hundreds, if not thousands of rear-wiper equipped vehicles. Is it because their drivers don't know they have them? Is it because they don't know how to turn them on? Or more likely, is it because they so rarely look in their rear-view mirrors that it is a moot point? I think it is likely the last....Oh, and while I am at it, this is during the early morning, pre-dawn, and yet about 10% of the cars don't even have their headlights on!:confused:
 

supton

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 25, 2004
Location
Central NH (USA)
TDI
'04 Jetta Wagon GLS
That's funny. I see a good amount of them on long after the road has dried out. I guess they can't hear it skip over the glass.
 

MrMopar

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 1, 2003
Location
Bloomington, IL
TDI
none
If I had a rear wiper I would never use it. I don't care who is behind me or where I have been. I only care about where I am going, what is in front of the car, and what is to the sides.
 

tdi90hp

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 5, 2002
Location
Canuckland
TDI
2011 Golf TDI 6 speed(gone but NEVER forgotten)
use mine all the time in the rain...works great. I ABSOLUTELY want to see who is behind me and who is coming fast....It's called "defensive" driving....guess MrMopar does not understand the concept....
 

Powder Hound

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 25, 1999
Location
Under a Bridge, Crestview, FL, USA
TDI
'00 Golf 4dr White 5sp, '02 Jettachero 5sp, Wife's '03 NB Platinum Gray auto(!)
...this is during the early morning, pre-dawn, and yet about 10% of the cars don't even have their headlights on!...
Maybe those are the ones eating all the carrots.

I'm one of those guys that only turns the rear wiper on for a single sweep as needed. I prefer to look out the front of the car most of the time anyway. And with nearly any road I use being narrow and shoulderless, there's no place to go if someone else is looking out their rear view instead of up front at my rapidly approaching bumper.

If defensive driving is really your main concern, get sidewalk treads on your tank.
 

That Guy

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 23, 2009
Location
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
TDI
2001 MKiv Golf TDI
Maybe those are the ones eating all the carrots.
Naw...it's because they are looking down and texting.:)



I only use mine when I need it too. I like to see what's happening behind me, especially when stopped in winter. If some goof can't stop and is sliding up my butt, I'd like to know so I can get out of the way.

I don't like to leave it running unless I'm in a really good rain storm. Which doesn't happen very often.
 

scurvy

Good Ol' Boy
Joined
Feb 21, 2006
Location
Chicago IL USA
TDI
2006 Golf
I never leave the rear wiper on. I flip the switch as needed.
Only in extremely heavy downpours or snowstorms have I ever left the rear wiper on. Otherwise it is only on for a few swipes and then off again.

RNDDUDE, if you find you need it on all the time, that's why they're a full on position. For the rest of us, there's also intermittent and off.
 

MrMopar

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 1, 2003
Location
Bloomington, IL
TDI
none
It's called "defensive" driving....guess MrMopar does not understand the concept....
I fully understand the concept, but it's not a mindset for everyone. It drives me nuts to be put in that frame of mind. I am mostly an extremely offensive driver. I'm a safe driver, but a fast and offensive driver.
 

Canker

Member
Joined
Nov 23, 2012
Location
Huntington Wv
TDI
04 jetta wagon
I haven't had my jetta wagon very long yet but on my pontiac vibe and dodge caravan the rear window didn't really need it. I'd use them to get dew/frost off but when traveling at speed the rear windows didn't get much water on them anyway.
 

supton

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 25, 2004
Location
Central NH (USA)
TDI
'04 Jetta Wagon GLS
I think you'll find that you need it. My rear window is magnet for dust in dry weather, and will get a fair amount of water in wet weather.

But you're going to find the rear washer to be something of a joke. At least I do. Also, once the temp gets cool (like sub-50F?) on mine I find that "intermittant" becomes "on"; I think it can't find home or something. It'll do several wipes and then stop in a random spot.
 

RNDDUDE

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 29, 2011
Location
Valencia Ca.
TDI
2011 Jetta Sportwagen TDI
I never was advocating for the rear wiper always on in the rain, I was noting that for everyone else that day their rear wipers were never on. I use it intermitttanly, as needed, and constant on when it is really pouring. It does improve rear visibility, but apparently that is not a big concern for all those I noted not using it. In my mind they are less safe due to diminished visibility. Granted, I drive in LA where 5-6 lanes of traffic each way are common, and bad lane changes are the biggest cause of accidents.
 
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