Motorists at risk of £100 fine for forgetting a simple switch this winter

DRIVERS are at risk of a fine and points on their licence should they forget to flick a simple switch in their car this winter.

As winter approaches, the days get shorter and mist becomes more common, meaning drivers must pay attention to their headlights.

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All cars have the ability to switch from low or dipped beam to high or main beam when needed.

High beam is useful in areas without street lighting, but it can be dangerous if used incorrectly.

For starters, you need to ensure you turn off your high beam if a car is coming the other way at night.

The same goes for following a car – it can dazzle the driver from behind and could cause an accident.

The Highway Code says: ‘You MUST NOT use any lights in a way which would dazzle or cause discomfort to other road users, including pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders.

‘Keep your headlights dipped when overtaking until you are level with the other vehicle and then change to high beam if necessary, unless this would dazzle oncoming road users.

Many modern cars now have auto high-beam which is designed to take care of switching for you.

But it’s still important to check it’s working and also that the system is switched on and active.

Failing to do so and being caught dazzling other drivers with your lights could land you with a £100 fine and three points on your licence for careless driving.

A recent study by the RAC found that more motorists are being dazzled than ever on the roads.

A huge 16.1million motorists said they’d experienced the dazzling effect of headlights from oncoming traffic.

People claimed that ‘some’ or ‘most’ car headlights are too bright and over half (54%) said they are regularly dazzled.