It’s fall. That means rain. Fog. Dreary conditions all around in the
I drive to work before the sun comes up, and drive home in the middle of the day. And every day I am shocked by the number of people I drive by without their headlights on. Sometimes I see people at 4:30am without their lights on! In the pitch black! Not only is it unsafe, but its illegal. It’s now a habit of mine to turn on my headlights when I get in my car, no matter the time of day. Honestly, it’s a great safety measure. When the rain is coming down and you’re traveling at 60 mph on the freeway kicking up water, it can really easily hide your car, and make you harder to see to others. Having your headlights on will make you a lot more visible for the drivers around you. Because (surprise! And we’re sad if you didn’t know this…) turning on your headlights illuminates the lights on the back of your car, too! So, it makes you a lot easier to see from all angles.
On top of that, there are laws in
"Hours of darkness" means the hours from one-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise, and any other time when persons or objects may not be clearly discernible at a distance of five hundred feet.
So, right now, that means your lights MUST be on from about 6:22pm (sunset is at 5:52pm today), to 7:20am (sunrise today was at 7:50am). However, the law also says they should be on at “any other time when persons or objects may not be clearly discernible at a distance of 500 feet.” On the freeway, 500 feet isn’t much room.
Long story short, in the fall and into the wintertime, PLEASE have your headlights on at all hours of the day. (Especially) when it is soggy outside, it makes you a LOT easier to see. It will help you avoid collisions, and see your surroundings more clearly.
Be safe, and drive smart!
Love, The Divas
