Drivers must use headlights and taillights while on the road during inclement weather and when using their windshield wipers, under a new law that took effect today. According to the state Department of Transportation, violating the law is a “surchargeable minor motor vehicle traffic law violation for insurance purposes.”
The law, meant to increase safety and visibility on roadways, was one of the last pieces of legislation signed by Gov. Deval Patrick before he left office in January. Under current state law, headlights must be turned on at night and during dawn and dusk.
The change requires use of headlights and taillights when windshield wipers are on, and when “low light or weather conditions prevent other vehicles or persons from being seen at 500 feet,” and from a half-hour after sunset to a half-hour before sunrise, according to MassDOT. The department said daytime running lights — lights separate from the headlamps, which are always on when the car is running and moving forward — won’t be enough during those conditions, under the law.