21/05/2026
If your vehicle has automatic headlights, don’t rely on the auto lights in bad weather. Turn your lights on manually.
With fewer daylight hours now and plenty of winter weather on its way, you should be using your dipped headlights more proactively.
Newer vehicles have auto lights that turn on when it's dark, but you’ll often need to manually turn the headlights on in dim conditions during the day. The automatic function often doesn't activate during daytime, even when visibility is low.
You should turn your headlights on dipped when it’s raining – you’ll also likely need to do this manually during the day.
Use your headlights when it’s raining because many of us have silver, grey, or white vehicles which easily blend into the road, grey sky, and water spray. Having your headlights on dipped activates your rear position lights. Together your lights make you much more visible to people behind you and people coming towards you.
Put simply: If your wipers are on, your lights should be on too.
You can’t have your headlights on full beam when you’re around people – it’s illegal. Your headlights must be dipped, even in heavy rain. Practically, that means you should only consider using full beam when you're not around other people and you’re driving on an unlit or poorly-lit road.
When the weather is bad, always check our pages to see if state highways are affected before you travel. Follow us if you aren’t already. You can find more information in this post: https://www.facebook.com/nztransportagency/posts/pfbid034secJjPNHzD1dEZcVPA5uY9GzqfUjgPZJQvXiCz8c7V1zXzxBjQq6VK3dnLBHJgFl
