Keeping pedestrians and other motorists safe with properly maintained and replaced headlights helps reduce the risk of an accident. If you are in an accident at night due to dim headlights, the driver with low lights may be liable. Whether you were hit by a car with dim headlights or you hit someone, when it comes to reimbursing damages or reducing the out-of-pocket costs, it can be helpful to seek the advice of a car accident lawyer.
According to USA Today, approximately 2,500 people are tragically killed each year at night when crossing a road. With proper maintenance and care, you will not just reduce the risk of getting a ticket, but also increase the chance to save a life.
While there are numerous advancements in car engineering and technology such as state-of-the-art navigation systems, rear cameras that help with parking, and high-end sound systems, headlight technology has not kept up with the pace of other automobile innovations. It is, therefore, your responsibility to keep your headlights up to snuff or else you might find yourself liable in an accident. A good rule of thumb is, when you change your headlights, change the pair in the same sitting. If one headlight is starting to fade or dim, it is likely that the other is also fading or quickly on its way to dimming.
While using something like a headlight restoration kit will be helpful in replacing bulbs, clearing headlight lenses can also help significantly.
Yes, you may know that all headlights grow dim over time, but others can truly develop a kind of hazy shine due to the lenses; the impact on the brightness of your lights can be BIG. The haziness is typically caused by condensation, dirt build-up, or merely old plastic or glass. Even with strong headlights, these types of lenses will cause a perfectly fine headlight to lose its luminous shine. In this situation as well, a legal case can be similarly hazy; that’s why a car accident lawyer could help figure out the correct liability.