Wipers On? Headlights on!

California adopted a law requiring that headlights (not driving lights; not fog lights) must be turned on whenever your windshield wipers are in operation (ie. whenever it’s raining) regardless of the time of day

V C Section 24400 Headlamps on Motor Vehicles

Headlamps on Motor Vehicles

24400. (a) A motor vehicle, other than a motorcycle, shall be ( )¹ equipped with at least two headlamps, with at least one on each side of the front of the vehicle, and, except as to vehicles registered prior to January 1, 1930, they shall be located directly above or in advance of the front axle of the vehicle. The headlamps and every light source in any headlamp unit shall be located at a height of not more than 54 inches nor less than 22 inches.

(b) ( )² A motor vehicle, other than a motorcycle, shall be operated during darkness, or inclement weather, or both, with at least two lighted headlamps that comply with ( )³ subdivision (a).

(c) ( )⁴ As used in ( )⁵ subdivision ( )⁶ (b), “inclement weather” is a weather condition that is either of the following:

(1) A condition that prevents a driver of a motor vehicle from clearly discerning a person or another motor vehicle on the highway from a distance of 1,000 feet.

(2) A condition requiring the windshield wipers to be in continuous use due to rain, mist, snow, fog, or other precipitation or atmospheric moisture.

Added Sec. 2, Ch. 415, Stats. 2004. Effective January 1, 2005. Operative July 1, 2005.
Amended Sec. 9, Ch. 311, Stats. 2006. Effective January 1, 2007.
Amended Sec. 43, Ch. 491, Stats. 2010. Effective January 1, 2011.
The 2010 amendment added the italicized material, and at the point(s) indicated, deleted the following:
1. “:
(1) Equipped ”
2. “(2) Operated”
3. “paragraph 1”
4. “b”
5. “paragraph (2) of”
6. “a”