Missouri: Headlamps Must Be Used With Wipers
On occasion I’ve mentioned some traffic safety tips for drivers on our streets and highways. One of my biggest pet peeves is people not using their headlights except when it is pitch black outside. Folk, your headlights are just as important for others to see you and for you to see out.
Depending upon weather conditions you are also required to use your headlights:
“When lighted lamps are required” means at any time from a half-hour after sunset to a half-hour before sunrise and at any other time when there is not sufficient light to render clearly discernible persons and vehicles on the highway at a distance of five hundred feet ahead. Lighted lamps shall also be required any time the weather conditions require usage of the motor vehicle’s windshield wipers to operate the vehicle in a careful and prudent manner as defined in section 304.012, RSMo. The provisions of this section shall be interpreted to require lighted lamps during periods of fog even if usage of the windshield wipers is not necessary to operate the vehicle in a careful and prudent manner.
The requirement of using your headlamps at times when your wipers are in use was passed in 2004. Enforcement is now the key. This is similar to an Illinois law that was passed a number of years ago.
And for those of you that have “daytime running lights” on your vehicle those are intended for daytime visibility but not conditions requiring wipers. The law requires your lights on if your wipers must be used. Also, the definition above makes note about fog as well.
Please turn on those lights so you can bee seen!
– Steve
This should be a requirement. Too many drivers are “me” drivers. Just because they can see other cars, they assume they can be seen just as easily.
To me, this is a no brainer. Drive with your lights on. People will actually see you and be less likely to hit you! If it’s raining outside, this is a double no brainer. Tonight, there was some ding dong following me for 4 miles down 55 South at 9pm, IN THE POURING RAIN, with his parking lights on. He couldn’t seem to figure out why he was having trouble seeing the road. Duh. And here I’m traveling with a baby in the car, and subjecting him to this insaneness. Maybe I should just never take my child anywhere.
Sorry, I’m crabby tonight.
Good points, Stevo.
🙂
dionna
List of top 5 traffic pet peeves (other than the headlight/wiper thing)…
1. 4 way stop- Person on the RIGHT has the RIGHT of way!
2. If there is a line of cars behind you and you are in the left lane- get over.
3. If you are merging onto the highway, look at the highway BEFORE you actually get to the end of the ramp. Get up to speed and take it one lane at a time.
4. if you are in the left lane and you realize you might miss your exit, it doesnt give you the right to cut everyone off and slow down to 20 miles an hour to cut across 4 lanes. its your own fault for being over there when you had to exit anyway.
5. Just because you are talking on your cell phone, it does not give you the right to:
a) switch lanes without signaling
b) drive 40 miles an hour in the fast lane
c) cut me off as you try to get on/off the highway
Good post Steve — though you’re beginnng to go all Ralph Nader on me! Loved Jason’s pet peeves re: driving. Personally — I think it is time to outlaw cell phones while driving totally — even head sets. DC traffic (where I live) is horrible enough — we don’t need to add the distraction of cell phones to the mix. I’m sure STL could use the break from cell phones as well.
I live in Kansas City and recently received a ticket for “no headlights when required”. I am surprised and amazed to see that this has been a law for 5 years, yet I have never heard about this. This doesn’t seem to be a hot topic since I notice the last posting was also 5 years ago.
I am interested to see that the law says, “lighted lamps” but does not specify lights that automatically come on in your car or that full, manually operated headlights are required.
This incident happened just after their had been a light mist in the air and I was clearing my windshield. It wasn’t actually raining. I guess this means that anytime a drop of water gets on your windshield, you better turn on your full headlights even if you have your wipers are on only briefly or intermittently. This seems to be carrying the intent of the law to the extreme. I understand and agree with the intent of the law and do turn on my lights if it is actually raining.
Perhaps some specific public service announcements would help with compliance with this law.
Right now I feel like I was just victimized by a policeman trying to collect fines. I thought Kansas City had a police shortage. We do have robberies and burglaries in this area. Maybe the police would better serve the public by doing policework, not focusing on ridiculous scrutiny of headlights and windshield wipers.