Idiot Of The Week: Driving Without Headlights

"Chris Kasinskas" (chriskasinskas) 09/20/2015 at 20:17 • Filed to: Idiot Of The Week, Rant, oppositelock, jalopnik

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“Idiot Of The Week” goes to this driver driving without headlights on. This past Friday night around 7:34 PM a small sedan passed me going the opposite direction driving without headlights.

This is not the first time I’ve seen someone do this but it always pisses me off. I’m always sure to have my headlights or DRLs on whenever I’m driving. I really hate drivers who don’t turn on their headlights as soon as it starts getting dark and or during inclement weather. I wonder why people don’t turn on their headlight in a situation like this. It was certainly dark enough to need them.

Thankfully most newer cars have Daytime Running Lights (DRL) and or automatic headlights. But sadly thats not even a guarantee if the driver turns the feature off.

Connecticut state law-

“Headlights must be turned on whenever it’s impossible to clearly see at least 500 feet ahead, during periods of precipitation, and from 30 minutes after sunset until 30 minutes before sunrise.”

Sunset this past Friday was at 6:58 PM so this driver was illegally driving without the use of headlights more then 30 minutes after sunset.

gamefreak32 > Chris Kasinskas 09/20/2015 at 20:35

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Looks like it is in a city with street lights. About a week after coming back to college from winter break I did this for about 1/4 of a mile. If you live somewhere that doesn’t have street lights you really can’t tell you forgot to turn your headlights on.

Chris Kasinskas > gamefreak32 09/20/2015 at 20:45

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I’m sure this person either forgot or didn’t realize they didn’t turn them on. I see this at least once a week, people turn out of the shopping plaza downtown and don’t turn on their headlight until they get about a half mile down the road where there are no more street lights. Still makes it hard to see them, My dashboard camera enhances the exposure so the video is brighter then it was in person.

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > Chris Kasinskas 09/20/2015 at 20:50

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Oppo confession:

I have driven without headlights before, for a very short period of time. I was leaving a very well lit gas station parking lot that I entered to check my phone on my way home from school at night, the further I got away from the gas station the more I felt something was wrong. I had forgotten to turn my headlights back on, whoops. I turned them on right away, but the moral of this story is; it happens.

Iheartmy365kHonda - Car enthusiasts do like FWD > Chris Kasinskas 09/20/2015 at 21:05

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I’m actually seeing this becoming a huge problem. Every night here in Colorado Springs, there is SOMEONE who drives without headlights. It is frightening for other drivers on the road, and I have seen police pulling people over without headlights. I’ve even had to try and remind people that their headlights are off. Are we just in a society of idiot car owners?

Chris Kasinskas > Iheartmy365kHonda - Car enthusiasts do like FWD 09/20/2015 at 21:15

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I’ve seen this becoming more common here in Connecticut within the last few years. On some newer cars with DRL but without automatic headlights I’ve seen people think their lights are on but it’s just the DRL and they are driving at night without taillights. I’ve seen this a few times on the highway also.

smobgirl > Chris Kasinskas 09/20/2015 at 22:09

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This is why I miss dashboard lights that don't illuminate if the lights are off. Hard to forget then unless you're wasted.

and 100 more > Chris Kasinskas 09/20/2015 at 22:41

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Hell, I see this about once every other week here.

I think it comes down to a couple things: plentiful overhead street lights, DRLs which offer enough illumination to tell you that your lights ARE on, auto headlights which get people out of the habit of turning them on manually, and digital dashes which are illuminated day and night.

Iheartmy365kHonda - Car enthusiasts do like FWD > Chris Kasinskas 09/21/2015 at 10:07

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That seems pretty accurate. Also, I think with all of the light up gauge clusters people are assuming their lights are on. Or I just seem stupid.

tpw_rules > Chris Kasinskas 09/22/2015 at 15:50

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This is why I like my car. It’s impossible to turn the headlights off.