Obviously, headlights help you see at night and help others see you. However, if you have been driving during the day, you may forget to turn on your headlights at dusk. The key here is that if you have trouble seeing the road or other vehicles, you need to turn on your headlights. If you see other vehicles driving without headlights on, turn on your headlights to warn them. Law enforcement agencies even recommend driving with the headlights on during the day to ensure optimal visibility, but this is not required by law. The best advice is to turn on your headlights 30 minutes after sunset, 30 minutes before sunrise, or whenever you can‘t clearly see a person or object within 500 feet. If a Wisconsin vehicle has free front lights, side marker lamps, or reflectors, these must be mounted at the front of the vehicle or on the sides near the front. They must emit amber light. Rear lamps, side-marker lamps or reflectors shall be mounted at the rear or on sides close to the rear of the vehicle. These must emit a red color. Hazard warning lights should only be used when your vehicle is deactivated or to warn other drivers to be cautious. Hazard warning lights indicate to other drivers that a vehicle is stopped on or off the road.
Under state law, a driver must turn on their hazard lights when the vehicle is deactivated on the side of the road. Wisconsin specifically requires that vehicles traveling on public roads and roads at night be equipped with a light to illuminate the license plate. The lamp must emit white light. A maximum of two front fog lamps and two auxiliary lamps are permitted per vehicle. 347.26(11)(a)(a) A vehicle may be equipped with lights that may be used to warn drivers of other vehicles of the presence of a danger to traffic requiring unusual caution when approaching, overtaking or overtaking and, if equipped, may display the warning in addition to any other warning signal prescribed in this section. The lamps used to indicate these warnings at the front shall be placed at the same height and at the greatest possible lateral distance and at the same time indicate white or yellow light or any shade between white and yellow. The lamps used to signal this warning to the rear shall be placed at the same height and at the greatest possible lateral distance and at the same time have flashing yellow or red lights or any shade between yellow and red. These warning lights shall be visible at night under normal atmospheric conditions at a distance of at least 500 feet. Driving signals conforming to the requirements of this chapter shall be used or lamps complying with these requirements shall be installed in such a way as to conform to the installation of the turn signal. Only police vehicles are allowed to use blue and red emergency lights; They cannot be used by private vehicles or other types of emergency vehicles. Ambulances and fire trucks can use red and white lights, but only when responding to a call.
Tow trucks may use yellow or yellow and red emergency lights. 347.26(8) (8) Warning lights for postal delivery vehicles. Any vehicle used for postal delivery may be equipped with a flashing yellow light or a flashing light installed in the highest possible position indicating at the front and rear that it may only be used to warn other motorists of the presence of a danger to motor traffic requiring unusual caution when approaching, overtaking or overtaking; if the vehicle is used for postal delivery. 347.26 Restrictions on Certain Optional Lighting Devices. 347.26(7) (7) Warning lamps for certain road vehicles. Any vehicle of the department or of a district or commune road authority which, by its use on a public highway, presents a danger to motor traffic requiring unusual caution when approaching, overtaking or overtaking, may be equipped with a flashing red or yellow dome light or 2 red or yellow flashing lights; One points forward and the other backward. These lamps shall be located approximately halfway between the outer extremities of the vehicle and the highest possible point and shall only be used to warn drivers of other vehicles of the existence of the danger to the road. Motorcycles must ride with the headlights on at all hours of the day or night. Bad weather like rain, fog and snow makes it difficult to see others and for others to see you. In 2016, the Wisconsin State Legislature introduced the Lighthouse Visibility Act. The law states that drivers must turn on their headlights if weather conditions limit visibility.
Restricted visibility means that objects within 500 feet of the vehicle are not visible. Failure to comply with the law could result in a ticket costing $160. According to the AAA Digest of Motor Laws website, Hawaii and Kentucky are the only states that don‘t need headlights on in bad weather or limited visibility. Wisconsin laws determine which vehicles can use emergency lights (pulsed, rotating, or flashing lights) and which colored lights are allowed on different types of emergency vehicles. Emergency vehicles include all vehicles driven by law enforcement, firefighters or emergency services, including ambulances. The term includes volunteer firefighters, federal bomb squads, preservation vehicles, organ transport teams, and local, state, and regional emergency vehicles. These emergency vehicles may use pulsating, rotating, oscillating or flashing devices. For snowmobiles, headlights should be used when it is dark and when driving on a highway. 347.26(6)(a)(a) Every vehicle that, by reason of its use on a highway, presents a danger to motor vehicle traffic requiring unusual caution when approaching, passing or passing shall be equipped with a flashing or rotating yellow dome light at the highest possible point visible at a distance of 500 feet. or 2 flashing yellow lights, one forward and one rearward, visible at a distance of 500 feet and mounted approximately halfway between the ends of the width of the vehicle and at the highest possible point.