I would like to bring to light a safety concern that I have recently observed many times in the last few weeks. I have noticed a number of vehicles being driven after dark on the highway and on our country roads without their lights on. We all know how dangerous this can be.
There are a number of root causes to this issue, one of which can be the dash lights coming on and fooling the driver into thinking the headlights are also on, but that is not necessarily the case. In most vehicles, the dash lights come on as soon as the engine starts. This means your cars’ outside lights may not be on, or maybe only the daytime running lights are on. The daytime running lights also fool us into thinking the headlights are turned on because some light does shine in front of the vehicle. However, the main headlamps are not on and neither are the taillights.
This is very dangerous for the other drivers on the road. Please take a few moments to check if your headlights are actually on the next time you are in your vehicle. Also, check your lights if you share your vehicle with other drivers, as we all have different habits with the controls. One thing that can help is if you have automatic headlights, consider using that setting as they automatically turn on when it is dark outside and off when you turn off the vehicle.
Stay safe on the road and please make sure your lights are on.
Vicki Mitchell,
Ridgefield
