When to turn on headlights

[Sea Skimmer]

I turn them on in any conditions equal to or worse then heavy cloud cover. There are few times when its not actually helpful to have them on, which is why some cars now automatically turn them on whenever running.

[TrailerParkJawa]

I turn my headlights on at dusk, dawn, and anytime the rain gets a little heavier than a light sprinkle. I like to turn them on, because it makes me more visible.

[GrandMasterTerwynn]

Living up here in the Tacoma, WA area, we get our share of gray and rainy days. Since I've been up here, I've used my headlights more often than not. First, the law requires that anyone using their windshield wipers must also turn on their headlights, and unless you're a disciple of Rain-X like me, use of one's windshield wipers is quite common here. I've noticed that a great many folks around here tend to ignore that law. The attitiude of many seems to be that if they can see without the headlights, then they'll keep them switched off. My attitude is that while I can see fine, others might not be able to make out my vehicle in the gray haze, so I tend to leave my headlights turned on. When do you use your headlights?

Edit: My poll somehow vanished, so I'm putting it back in

I try to avoid turning on my headlights until the requisite thirty minutes after sunset. I have a bad habit of leaving them on. What I do have are a set of modest foglights that I turn on when conditions get nasty during the day. And as they can only be on while the engine is running, it works out quite well for me.

Oh yeah, and Rain-X is great stuff.

[Kuja]

I turn them on whenever I have trouble seeing or when there's precipitation, at which point using wipers and headlights are mandated by law.

[Alferd Packer]

When it's raining, and 30 minutes before sunset to 30 minutes after sunrise.

[David]

Whenever everyone else does.

[generator_g1]

On another note about headlights...

Don't you hate it whenever you approach another car on the road, the other guy refuses to lower his high beams so he blinds you. My eyes are a little sensitive to bright light so when he shines his high beams on me, I get blinded by that.

[His Divine Shadow]

Living up here in the Tacoma, WA area, we get our share of gray and rainy days. Since I've been up here, I've used my headlights more often than not. *snip*[/i]

Here in Finland, or Scandinavia in general you are required to have the car's lights on all the time when driving, high beams only when it's dark enough and they must be turned off when you meet another car.

[Edi]

Whenever I drive, the headlights are always on, as required by law here. On the highways, the high beams go down when somebody else comes into their range going in the opposite direction, that's just common courtesy. People who don't use their headlights annoy the hell out of me because they constitute a traffic hazard. Heavy sleet and snow conditions are annoying, because the only lights you can safely use are snow lights, otherwise everything just whites out and you can't see shit.

Edi

[Tsyroc]

I turn mine on when visibility might be a problem. In the last few years I've expanded that to also mean when people might have trouble seeing me. Until recently I would turn them on for my drive home in the morning because I was driving out of the east with the sun behind me. My truck is a light tan color and that combination has nearly gotten me hit a couple of times. The headlights are just enough of an attention grabber that I think it's helpful.


I think there are some states in the U.S. that require you to turn on your headlights whenever it rains.

[XPViking]

I remember I was driving from LA to Idaho, I started at night so I could get through the desert at night (it was still incredibly hot).. I was driving an old car I'd be leaving up there at a ranch.. no AC, a semi-broken radio that didn't accept the tape-CD conversion thing, so I made a game.

A little past Vegas I was becoming drowsy so I decided to memorize as far as I could on the road and turn off my headlights and drive in pitch darkness. The craziest moments were when I decided to do that while driving through the pass between the canyons somewhere North of Vegas. Hell, even with my lights on I had no clue where I was.

Your post obviously proves my point. You made a frigging game of turning off your headlights and driving? Are you a complete retard? Why didn't you pull over and do some stretches to wake up? Or perhaps find a safe spot and take a quick nap.

XPViking

[Faram]

Requirement of the law:

All the time: day, night, sun, rain whatever.

[His Divine Shadow]

And it really is a good law, really makes a difference, even on a clear day I've noticed.