Common Sense Driving: Turn Your Headlights on when it is Raining

With many new cars today, they have day headlights which automatically come on when the car is started. With these cars, the taillights and running lights often do not come on when the car is started.

When someone is following you on a rainy day, especially in down pours, they will not see you if you do not fully turn on your lights. Turning on your lights completely will give oncoming traffic a better chance of seeing you.

Also, just a moment ago, the DJ on KFDI kindly reminded listeners if they are having to use their windshield wipers, they need to have their headlights on.

Even the website for the state of New Jersey's Motor Vehicle Commission says to turn on your windshield wipers when it is raining, foggy, misting, smoke is in the area, and other things that can reduce your visibility. New Jersey is not the only state to have this listed on their website. Also, it is one item pertaining to headlights and inclement weather seen in many driver's education books across the United States.

Officers in Kansas have been known to stop or flash people with their lights, both headlights and emergency lights, to warn people to turn their lights on for their cars. They do this as a friendly warning to do so as opposed to pulling your over to give you a verbal or written warning on this issue.

In some cases, they have given tickets for this because it could be considered operating a motor vehicle with mechanical violations especially if they do not see you respond upon passing you or following you. I have seen this happen with drivers in Oklahoma and Kansas.

It also could be considered as reckless driving due driving a car during a rain storm without your headlights on. The reason behind this being considered under this driving law is because it would be considered a willful disregard to safety of people and property.

Just be safe during rainy weather and turn on your headlights. One easy way to remember this is to remember when your windshield wipers are on, your headlights should be too.