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(Mat Barrett/northeastNOW Staff)
Turn on Your Headlights

When visibility is poor, turn on those headlights, day or night

Nov 5, 2019 | 5:01 PM

You’ve brushed the snow off your car, and you’re ready to head on your journey, but don’t forget one thing, turn on your headlights.

That’s the message from SGI now that winter has arrived in Saskatchewan. Tyler McMurchy with SGI Media Relations said sometimes it can be hard to see during the winter months when driving.

“It’s very important to not only see, but to be seen,” he said. “Headlights help with both of those things.”

McMurchy said whether it is day or night, if visibility is poor, turn on those headlights because some car do not have automatic ones, while some don’t even have running daytime tail lights. He said visibility could be impacted by a snowstorm, or even blowing snow from cars ahead of you.

“You want to be able to be seen from the front and the back,” McMurchy told northeastNOW. “Give those other drivers a chance to see you coming, or to see that they are coming upon you especially if they’re stopped.”

He said it seems to be a very common occurrence, having people not using their headlights properly during times of tough visibility. He added they get lots of messages about it, therefore they post on social media about it a great deal.

If you don’t use those headlights properly, your wallet could be hit hard.

“The Traffic Safety Act actually requires drivers to use headlights anytime visibility is poor,” he said. “There is a $125 fine for not following this rule.”

One other thing that people may not think of before setting out is making sure the headlights on your vehicle are clean. McMurchy said that in the process of brushing off the rest of your car, give a swipe to the head and tail lights to make sure they are performing at their best.

mat.barrett@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @matbarrett6

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