Infographic: U.S. Headlight Laws

Infographic - U.S. Headlight Laws
Click on the infographic to read the fine print. Who knows—you might avoid becoming an accident statistic.

On a recent out-of-state motoring adventure through New Jersey, the afternoon sky turned from a sunny blue to a hamburger grey. Clouds began to spit on the windshield as I rolled through the countryside, and shortly thereafter it was all-out vomiting on the pint-sized 2009 Chili Red Mini Cooper I had borrowed from a friend.

The rain was coming down so hard I thought the little car was going to get washed off the country lane. As the faded, double yellow line became harder to see due to the aqueous glare, I narrowly escaped a massive head-on collision with what looked like a black Hyundai Genesis. Basically, I started to drift into the bending, return travel lane—and at the last second—piloted the roller-skate-of-a-car back into a safe line of travel.

I wish I could say writing the car off was avoided by partaking in several defensive driving clinics over the years, but it probably had more to do with the defensive driving technology of the oncoming car (Daytime Running Lamps and automated low beams). It wasn’t until this week I realized just how lucky I was to avoid the dark colored luxobarge from possibly sealing my fate.

According to this infographic supplied by the folks at Nissan (data from the AAA crowd), it looks like New Jersey daytime driving laws don’t require motorists to flick on their front-mounted cans whenever their windshield wipers are activated due to precipitation.

What’s the lesson here?

If you aren’t driving a newer car that takes advantage of automated lighting systems, make it a practice to use your headlights when your wipers are activated. The life you save could be your own.

 Video Break

Hey kids, check out this video of the car that spared my life, and buddy’s car!

Ryan Morris

Ryan’s passion for automobiles began at age eight when his father brought home the quintessential sports car — a Guards Red, 1974 Porsche 911 Targa. Ever since, his free time has been consumed with following the latest developments of the automotive industry.