Drivers should use their headlights at night and during bad weather, or whenever visibility is poor. Your headlights will help other drivers see you and increase your ability to see roadway hazards.

Every car on the road is required to be equipped with two headlights – one on each side of the front of the vehicle, and two tail-lights. Vintage vehicles from before January 1, 1970 are exempted from these requirements.

You should use your "high beam" lights with care. They should not be used under these conditions:

• When there is a car in front of you within 500 feet.
• When a car is passing you.
• When a car is approaching you from the opposite direction.

During darkness every motor vehicle on the road should be visible from at least 500 feet and the headlights should be adjusted to not strike the roadway at a distance farther than 300 feet from the vehicle.

It is against the law to have installed on your car more than two fog lamps, or to use your fog lamps without using your headlamps as well.

If your car has multiple headlight settings (for instance, high and low beams):

• The high beams should have a range of at least 350 feet.
• The low beams should have intensity of at least 100 feet ahead.
• If the car has only low beams, the intensity should be sufficient to reveal persons and vehicles at a distance of at least 200 feet.

• It is legal to supplement your high beams with auxiliary driving lamps, but they cannot be used with your "low beams."

Tail-Lights

Your red tail-lights should go on whenever you turn on your parking lights or your headlights. Your tail lights should be visible 1000 feet to the rear of your vehicle, if your car was made in 1969 or later.

Your brake lights should activate whenever you step on your vehicle’s brake pedal and be visible from a distance of 300 feet to the rear during normal sunlight and at night.

Your reverse lights, or "back up" lights, should go on whenever you shift into reverse. Your reverse lights should project a white or amber light illuminating the highway to the rear of the vehicle for a distance not to exceed 75 feet.

Turn signals, or directional signals, inform other drivers that you plan to turn or move to the right or left. Your turn signals should be plainly visible and understandable in normal sunlight and at nighttime from a distance of at least 300 feet to the front and rear of the vehicle.

Turn signals should project a flashing white or amber light to the front and a flashing red or amber light visible to the rear of the vehicle.

Warning flashers, or "Hazard Lights," tell other drivers that a vehicle on or off the road ahead has stopped, is disabled somehow, or is moving very slowly.

All of your lighting equipment should be properly maintained and in good working order.

Safety Equipment: Brakes

When you step on your car’s brake pedal you must be able to stop or slow down the car.

• Your brakes should be well maintained and capable of stopping your vehicle in a distance of 25 feet or less from an initial speed of 20 miles per hour.
• The brakes should be kept in good working order and adjusted to operate equally on the front and rear wheels on opposite sides of the vehicle.
• Your brakes need to be able to stop and hold your vehicle on any slope or grade on which you drive it.

Your parking brakes, also known as a hand brake or emergency brakes, are responsible for locking your rear wheels, when your vehicle is stopped and parked. Your parking brakes are separate from your foot brake and should not be confused.

The law on parking brakes requires that they be:

• Held in place by only mechanical means.
• Able to hold the vehicle on any grade on which it is operated, except for the special circumstances of snow, ice, or loose material which would cause the whole car to slide.
• Used exclusively for the operation of the parking brake or the combination of the parking brake and emergency stopping system.

Safety Equipment: Windshields and Mirrors

Passenger vehicles need to be equipped with an adequate windshield and two self-operating windshield wipers, one mounted on the right side and one mounted on the left side of the windshield. Some vehicles are designed with single wiper blades under special Federal standards.

• The windshields and windows of the automobile should be manufactured with safety glazing. It is against the law to replace any safety glazing material used in the windshields and mirrors.
• Windshield wipers should be activated during fog, snow, rain, or other adverse conditions and should be capable of effectively clearing the windshield while the vehicle is in motion.
• Windshield wipers should be maintained in good operating condition and provide clear vision through the windshield for the driver.
• It is against the law to drive a motor vehicle with any object or material placed, applied or installed inside or outside the vehicle which obstructs or reduces the driver's clear view through the windshield or side windows.
• Signs or stickers should be displayed only in a 7-inch square in the bottom corner of the windshield furthest from the driver, or in a 7-inch square in the lower corner of the rear window furthest from the driver.
• Sun screening devices, such as a frame, a rigid material with temporary fasteners, or a flexible roller shade, should be readily removable from the window area.
• Rear and side view mirrors allow drivers to see cars behind them and to the sides of their car.
• Your rear view mirror should reflect to you a view of the highway for a distance of at least 200 feet to the rear of the vehicle.
• If the rear view is obstructed, the vehicle must be equipped with mirrors on both the left and right hand sides of the vehicle. The mirrors should provide the driver a view of the highway for a distance of at least 200 feet to the rear of the vehicle on both the left and right hand sides.
• It is illegal to operate any motor vehicle when the windshield or rear window is in such defective condition as to impair the driver’s vision either to the front or rear.

 Safety Equipment: Horn

Your horn is a warning device to enable you to communicate with other drivers:

• Every vehicle by law needs to be equipped with a horn in good working order.
• Your horn needs to be audible for at least 200 feet without being so unreasonably loud or harsh to make you a nuisance.
• You should use your horn whenever it is necessary to insure safe operation of your vehicle.
• Unnecessary use of your horn is against the law.
• Authorized emergency vehicles and special vehicles may be equipped with warning devices such as sirens, air horns, and "backing up" alarms.

 Safety Equipment: Tires