I can tell you that I have noticed all too often vehicles driving in the rain without any headlights on. To the point it has become ridiculous. Yesterday it rained its butt off and as I sat outside on my side porch directly on Rt. 50, I'd say one out of every four cars didn't have their headlights on.
Now let's look at the other side. One evening my Wife was going to pick up our Grandson at work. One of her headlights had burned out and the State Police pulled her over directly in front of the restaurant our Grandson works at. The next thing she knew there were THREE police officers, (all with their emergency lights on) behind her creating quite a stir. All over one headlight being out. Trust me, it had just gone out and we immediately replaced it that night, no problem. However, if I can sit there on the side porch and watch one out of four cars driving in a very nasty rain and not see ONE cop anywhere, this is ridiculous.
So think about it. Have YOU ever seen a cop pull someone over for not having their headlights on in the rain? I can personally answer that as a NO. Yet they sit there running radar all day on Rt. 50 pulling people over for speeding but not headlights in the rain.
No matter how you look at it, they created this law for a reason. Many cars without their headlights on don't appear in heavy rain until it's too late. I just wish those legislators that created the headlight law would use their heads and force the auto manufacturers to create the switch that makes your headlights instantly go on when you turn on your wipers.
My car is a 2011 Buick with that feature, put wipers on, headlights come on. My I inquire what make & model car do you have ???
ReplyDeletedo drl's count?
ReplyDeletewas wondering this
but year, i am in the same boat. whenever a bulb goes out i get pulled over that day. yet speeders, and other violators never do
You wouldn't want your lights to flash when you are just cleaning your windshield.
ReplyDeleteIt is not a primary violation. You have to be pulled over for something else.
ReplyDelete22-201.2. Use of headlights or fog lights when windshield wipers are operated.
(e) Enforcement only as secondary action.- A police officer may enforce the provisions of this section only as a secondary action when the police officer detains a driver of a motor vehicle for a suspected violation of another provision of the Code.
Agreed on all counts, and I would like to add one more if I may. I routinely travel rt. 90 and 50 for work, and pass through the mandatory head light area. However, as I do so, I see a great many vehicles without their lights on. Curious that these laws (rain and 50/90) are not enforced.
ReplyDeleteKind Regards,
Paladin
Not only that but on the roads that require headlights on at all times you will see at least one of every ten drivers without their lights on and nobody ever gets pulled over unless they look like drug or cigarette smugglers. Also cops never get out in the rain unless they absolutely have to.
ReplyDeleteI say the same thing all the time...
ReplyDeleteI know in my vehicle the lights do come on if the wipers are activated over 20secs...
ReplyDeleteThe cops don't like to distribute citations when it's raining because they have to stand outside by your window while you find and hand over requested documents. And I don't blame them.
ReplyDeleteAND...every car manufacturer should have mandatory DRL (daytime running lights) installed on EVERY vehicle.
ReplyDeleteI was amazed yesterday at how many cars, driving in the pouring rain with no visibility, that did not have ANY lights on...even high-end cars like Lexus. Seriously, we have lane departure warnings, back up warnings, brake warnings, self driving, etc. but they can't make MANDATORY DRL's??? Come on, man!
9:32, that's awesome. I'll simply say I have many cars, most of which I simply leave my lights on at all times. When I cut off the cars the lights automatically turn off on a delay. I believe most vehicles these days do the same but people tend to manually turn them off.
ReplyDelete9:36, of course not. Like 9:48 said, if the wipers are on for an extended period the headlights should turn on.
Funny....you guys complain that the police AREN’T enforcing traffic laws and then complain that there “are more important things to do” when they ARE enforcing traffic laws. I can’t even begin to count the number of people complaining on here about speed and DUI enforcement. The most used terms are “traffic Nazi’s and Police State”. You can’t have it both ways. You are the same ones who complain about the police speeding but scream and yell “what took you so long to get here” when you call them. Make up your minds.
ReplyDelete10:30- Feel better?
DeleteJust speaking the truth. I see you didn’t refute the statement. You just made a childish comment n
DeleteDRL's are good for oncoming traffic when it's raining but don't help for following traffic in a downpour.
ReplyDeleteA few years ago, I got pulled over on Rt. 50. I had my lights on but the officer said that I had a fog light out and gave me an inspection ticket. This morning, I followed a big truck down the bypass that was driving with no headlights and no tail lights as well. I turned off on the 50 East bound exit and they were still heading straight on the bypass.
ReplyDeleteThe other night I was returning home at 9pm, car coming toward me, no headlights at all, none. That is an accident waiting to happen.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing 11:14
DeleteI just drive with my lights on all the time.
ReplyDeleteWow, the writer just doesn't get the obvious. Cops DO NOT stop drivers in the rain. That's a fact jack. They know it, the court system knows it, and the motoring public knows it. Tickets for anything are never issued when it's raining except if there's an accident and they have to suit up in their rain suits. Cops will respond to service calls and accidents only during rain. The are not going to get out of the comfort of their dry police cruiser for someone not having headlights on. They just don't do it. The law is useless if the cops are too concerned about staying dry than enforcing the law. It just gives others something to complain about. Food for thought: Would YOU get out of a police cruiser and stop somebody in the pouring down rain to issue a ticket for driving in daylight with the headlights off? Or any other traffic infraction? Of course not!
ReplyDeleteIt's not a primary violation.
ReplyDeleteHowever; have a burned out light (any light) will get you pulled over, because it is primary! And in many cases leads to other violations and DUI's.
Why don't those state legislators make the cops do their job and enforce the law when it's raining? Because even they cannot make a cop get out of their cars and enforce the law when it's raining. Its a state law and the cops are state cops. It would take a federal law to mandate that auto manufacturers make the "rain lights" automatic.
ReplyDeleteJust look at the cars without their headlights on in the pouring rain and remind yourself how stupid they are. Try looking at the makeup of the drivers you notice without lights on, and see if you can draw any correlation.
ReplyDeleteWow sounds like the housewives of salisbury , drama , drama. Just turn your lights on when it's raining , and get your light fixed when it's broke. Don't worry about the cops unless you are guilty of something.
ReplyDeleteThey can't pull them over if they don't see them. Think about it, a gray car in the rain.
ReplyDeleteNot all states require lights on when the windshield wipers are on. Actually I think it is less than half that do require it. In Maryland it is a secondary offense. They can't just pull you over for not having them on. You have to be pulled over for another reason and then they can give you a ticket for it.
ReplyDelete12:24... so you're saying they can't pull them over just for being stupid?
ReplyDeleteBut don't you think that's a safety thing? Like driving too fast, too slow, not using a turn signal, etc.
I guess if I was a cop and it was pouring rain, I wouldn't want to get out of my car, either.
12:30
ReplyDeleteDo you work for CNN? Making up things that people didn't actually say? All I state was how the law works in Maryland.
There is an old saying....there are three things a police officer should never be...hungry...wet or horny. There are plenty of places that give them food, plenty of women/men to give them lovin and you should be smart enough not to get out in the rain.
ReplyDeleteYes let’s make more laws and regulations said every democrat ever
ReplyDeleteAs usual. Another law that NEVER gets enforcement. But the State constantly raise taxes. Cops are afraid of getting wet or float away. Lol
ReplyDeleteFirst drop of rain is the state's fault, second drop is yours.
ReplyDeleteOctober 21, 2019 at 9:36 AM
ReplyDeleteI have been pulled over solely for purpose of a headlight out... no other reason.
No one said you haven’t. What they are saying is...you can’t stop a vehicle for not having its headlights on when the wipers are on without having another violation. The headlight and wiper violation is a SECONDARY infraction and cannot be used as the primary reason to stop a vehicle.
DeleteSecondary violation, you cant be stopped for it. So stop the fake outrage.
ReplyDeleteThe ones who do not have enough sense to turn their lights on during rain should be pulled over and given a stiff citation. But, the cops don't want to go out in the rain so they turn their head the other way. Same with speeding.
ReplyDelete11:33
ReplyDeleteThey can NOT pulled them over if their only violation is not having their lights on. Several people have already stated this. If you don't have the sense to read it maybe you shouldn't chime in.
You can believe cops won't give you a ticket in rain if you want to but I know different
ReplyDeleteSo, how do we petition our elected 'leaders' to make this a PRIMARY offense so people CAN get ticketed. This is a bigger safety issue than speeding.
ReplyDeleteI do know that a lot of their policy talks about making a traffic stop when it is safe to do so. In other words, in inclement weather, it’s probably not the best idea to conduct a traffic stop on a wet surface when most people completely panic and slam on their brakes when they are stopped. Then it would be a whole other post about how unsafe the police are for making the violator skidded or worse the officers vehicle rear ending the violators vehicle during the stop when it was raining. As always, as mentioned before by 10:30, the constant complaining of the police for either doing too much or not enough is never ending!
ReplyDeleteI do know that part of their policy talks about making a traffic stop when it is safe to do so. . In other words, it is probably not the best idea to stop a vehicle on a wet surface when it is raining since most people completely panic and slam on their brakes when they are stopped. Then it would be a whole other post about how unsafe the police are for making the violator skidded on worse yet the officers vehicle rear ending the violators vehicle during the traffic stop in the rain. As mentioned above by 10:30, there will always be someone complaining about the Police either for doing too much or not enough!
ReplyDeleteRight now . . .go check it out for yourself, located at the intersection of Rt. 13 and Naylor Mill road there are what looks like 8" x 4' strips of debris - and they have been laying in the direct line of traffic for 2 WEEKS!!! One would think that with, both, the MD State police barracks and the Wicomico Sheriff's office being within 1/2 mile - that one of those agencies would have removed the debris. So sad!!
ReplyDeletebut year, i am in the same boat. whenever a bulb goes out i get pulled over that day. yet speeders, and other violators never do
ReplyDeleteOctober 21, 2019 at 9:32 AM
So you wish everyone who commits a traffic infraction gets pulled over?!
I know your type. We see them every day trying to force others to drive like they are.
Jealous, scared, whatever. Those people are a hazard on any road. Get out of left lane, if you can't keep up, pull over,