Beginning on April 7th, a new Massachusetts law will require drivers to turn their headlights and tail lights on when their car’s windshield wipers are needed. Drivers can be ticketed for not doing so.
In addition, the new law also states that headlights and tail lights should be turned on 30 minutes before sunrise and sunset or when visibility is under 500 feet. To view the full law, click here.
Drivers who don’t adhere to the new law could be cited, charged a fine and puts a minor surcharge-able traffic violation on your record.
Some rather interesting and unusual notes from the new law:
- this section shall not apply to a vehicle which is designed to be propelled by hand
- that a vehicle carrying hay or straw for the purpose of transporting persons on a hayride shall display only electrically operated lights which shall be 2 flashing amber lights to the front and 2 flashing red lights to the rear
Can anyone name a hand-propelled vehicle that has windshield wipers? And who knew that hayride lighting had to be so specific? There’s a chance we might be out of compliance during our annual Halloween tradition! Shhh…don’t tell.