Visibility is remarkably important out on the roads. How much visibility a driver has and how visible their car is to others can have significant traffic safety implications.
Headlights are a very important visibility tool. They can play a big role in helping a driver have good visibility and helping a car stand out to other drivers, particularly in tough visibility conditions. Thus, it is very important for drivers to act properly when it comes to their headlights, including:
- Making sure that, when driving in dark conditions or other conditions where visibility is limited, their headlights are not off.
- Replacing headlights that are burned-out.
- Clearing off things that could obstruct or substantially dim their headlights.
Failing to have the headlights of one's car on when one should or failing to make sure one's headlights are functioning properly could make auto accidents more likely.
As a note, there are some situations in which having too bright of headlights could hinder rather than help things visibility-wise. For example, in heavy snow or fog, brighter lights can mean greater light reflection off of the fog or snow, which can cut into a driver's visibility. Thus, it is generally wise to avoid putting one's lights on bright-mode in such situations.
As one can see from this discussion, how a driver acts when it comes to their headlights can have some pretty big visibility-related implications. It is important for drivers to act responsibly when it comes to any action that could affect visibility out on the roads. When accidents occur because drivers fail to do so, the crash victims may have legal claims they can pursue.
Source: WLUC, "When are headlights too bright?," Dan Giroux, Nov. 12, 2015