When and where to use your headlights in California can be confusing for some drivers. Especially in a state known for its fog, it can be confusing for many. Some guides tell you to use your high-beam headlights, while others insist you should turn them off.
It’s important to know what California traffic laws say about driving while in foggy weather, including the basics of headlight laws, when they apply to foggy weather and other climate conditions.
Maybe you’re a new or experienced driver; it doesn’t matter. It’s good to go over traffic laws for foggy weather every so often for a refresher — get some piece of mind when driving in inclement weather in California and read this guide.
California’s Headlight Law
For the safety of everyone on the road, especially at night, California has important headlight laws that drivers must follow in several circumstances. All motor vehicles are extremely dangerous if they’re not visible to other drivers, pedestrians, cyclists, and even animals. Headlights protect and keep traffic flowing safely.
Requirement of headlight law in California
California Vehicle Code (CVC) 24400 states that all motor vehicles, other than a motorcycle, “shall be operated during darkness, inclement weather, or both, with at least two lighted headlamps […].”
How is inclement weather defined? As defined in CVC 24400, inclement weather is one that “prevents the driver of a motor vehicle from clearly discerning a person or another motor vehicle on the highway from a distance of 1,000 feet” or also a condition “requiring a driver’s windshield wipers to be on in continuous use due to rain, mist, snow, fog or other precipitation or atmospheric moisture.”
The definition of “darkness” is also a bit ambiguous, but courts usually require headlights to be on “from a half hour after sunset to a half hour before sunrise,” although most cars now automatically turn on their headlights before sunset and after sunrise.
Remember that driving without headlights on during bad weather or at night can lead to steep fines or, worse, an accident because of a reduction in visibility. Drivers in California should always ensure their headlights are on, aligned properly, and functioning correctly.
Low Beam and High Beam Headlights
Knowing when to use high and low beams is another key to driving safely in California. Low beams will provide a focused light that helps you see ahead without it being too bright and glaring at you or other drivers.
High beams are useful for providing a wider light beam that can make it easier to spot hazards in very dark conditions where there are few other cars or sources of light. However, high beams can be too strong for other drivers and blind you and others, making them a risk in certain situations.
Exceptions to the headlight law
Your headlights don’t always have to be on during the night or inclement weather. The Vehicle Code makes an exception in 24409, which is very important. When driving with your high-beam headlights, you must switch to low beams when approaching and following other vehicles to not blind the other drivers.
Penalties for violating headlight law
Failure to properly use your headlights can result in penalties of CVC 24409, which specifies when to use high-beam and low-beam headlights.
When a driver does not dim their headlights in front of an oncoming vehicle within 500 feet, or when following another vehicle within 300 feet to the read, for example, the fine is around $238 and has a point added to their California driver’s license. Other penalties can be incurred if you fail to turn on your windshield wipers during rain or other weather conditions that require them.
Remember that too many points in a specified amount of time can lead to license suspension and increased insurance premiums, which is why Ticket Snipers urges you to contact us if this is your case. Fight any headlight violation and avoid these penalties.
Use of Headlights in California During Foggy Weather
Fog and headlights are a life-saving combination for California drivers. They’re key for drivers to see the road ahead during thick fog or adverse weather conditions and make it easier for other drivers to see you. But what type of headlights should you use when there’s fog?
In California, drivers must switch from low beams to high beams when driving in foggy weather, and there’s an extra tool many vehicles are now equipped with that will also come in handy— fog lights.
Having a pair of functioning fog lights on your vehicle is a plus in foggy weather. Low and high beams sometimes make it harder to see through fog because they reflect off the moisture in the air and right back at you, the driver. Fog beams are positioned below regular headlights to avoid this.
In California, fog lights, sometimes called hazard lights, are placed in front and somewhere between 12 and 30 inches from the surface. Only two fog lights are allowed, and they are not to be used instead of headlights but merely in addition. And fog lights are only used in fog, not during clear conditions.
Don’t rely on fog lights alone because they only illuminate the road immediately in front of you and might confuse other drivers regarding the size and shape of your vehicle. Always use hazard lights in conjunction with normal headlights during times of limited visibility.
Your high beams in foggy weather help other drivers know where you are, keeping everyone safe. Fog lights are made to provide additional visibility that low and high beams might not be able to during fog.
Learn how to properly use your vehicle’s headlights to reduce the risk of accidents and keep every driver, pedestrian, cyclist, and even animal safe on the road. Armed with this knowledge, we are confident that you will avoid citations against headlight laws in California or, worse, accidents.
Getting a Headlight Ticket During Foggy Weather in California
There are several strategies the experts, like those at Ticket Snipers, can use to defend you against any ticket. One of them is to argue in court that you were not at the required distance from another vehicle for you to dim your high beams or that the weather did not impair your visibility that much during foggy conditions or any adverse weather conditions.
Call or contact us online and we can help you with any headlight ticket that can add points to your license or raise your premiums.