FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 20, 2016
Public Service Announcement: Headlights During Limited Visibility Enforced October 1, 2016
MADISON, WI — State Senator Howard Marklein (R-Spring Green) issued an alert and reminder that a new state law requiring headlights during times of limited visibility will soon be enforced on Wisconsin’s roads.
“As I drove to the State Capitol today, our landscape was blanketed in fog. I was alarmed to see the number of other drivers who did not turn on their headlights,” Marklein said. “Operating without headlights on days like today is very dangerous. Oncoming traffic and approaching drivers cannot see you when your headlights and taillights are not on.”
Marklein authored Act 165 (Senate Bill 249 and Assembly Bill 337) with Rep. Travel Tranel (R-Cuba City) to require drivers to turn on their headlights during times of limited visibility. Limited visibility means you can't see something 500-ft away, which is a little less than two high school football fields.
Statewide law enforcement is currently issuing warnings for failure to turn-on headlights during inclement weather situations. Beginning October 1, 2016, they will be able to ticket motorists up to $160 for failure to comply with the law.
“For some of us, turning on headlights in the fog or during a snowstorm is common sense. But for other people, this action isn’t automatic and can cause accidents and frustration for other drivers,” Marklein said. “This law will allow law enforcement to issue tickets for driving without headlights during inclement weather the same way that they do when an individual drives without headlights and taillights in the dark.”