In Minnesota, flashing your headlights to alert another driver that their high beams are on is actually against the law. This common practice, often used to politely ask another driver to dim their lights, can result in a warning or even a fine.
Understanding the Law
According to Minnesota law, a person is not allowed to flash their headlights at another vehicle, even if that vehicle has its high beams on. Instead, drivers are required to dim their headlights to low beams when meeting another vehicle at 1,000 feet or when following another vehicle at 200 feet or less.
The increased brightness of modern headlights, particularly those using LED technology, has made this issue more pronounced. New vehicles often come equipped with LED headlights that can be up to four or five times as bright as older headlights, making it more important for drivers to be mindful of their light usage.
When encountering a vehicle with its high beams on, the best course of action is not to flash your headlights but to focus on the road and avoid looking directly into the oncoming lights. Sgt. Grabow suggests focusing on the white line near the right shoulder of the road until the car passes.
Original reporting: News Talk 1340 KROC-AM – News and Talk – Rochester News Radio — read the source article.
