Headlight law tested in storm; results mixed

Mary Lou Lyon was driving a friend home Thursday afternoon when the rain started coming down in sheets. She turned her headlights on — but many others she saw on the road hadn’t done so.

‘‘ I don’t know what their problem is,’’ the Cupertino woman said. ‘‘ I’m muttering to myself, ‘ Dummy, turn your lights on.’ ’’

Thursday’s storm was one of the first big tests of a new state law requiring drivers to use their headlights whenever they switch on their windshield wipers. The law — which started as an idea Lyon and another woman pitched to state Sen. Joe Simitian, D- Palo Alto, two years ago — took effect July 1. It put California in the same camp as states like New York and North Carolina with similar requirements.

But it might be awhile before flipping the headlight switch is automatic, law enforcement officials said.

‘‘ It’s going to take some time for people to remember,’’ said California Highway Patrol officer Steve Perea.

Local police and CHP officers didn’t know if anyone had been ticketed for violating the law, and the state highway patrol office isn’t tracking citations yet. But several departments said their officers were watching for violators.

‘‘ If the weather is bad enough, if the rain is hard enough, if the visibility is poor enough, it’s a judgment call of the officer,’’ said Sgt. Nick Muyo of the San Jose Police Department. And if officers think drivers are putting themselves at risk, Muyo said, there’s a good chance they’ll issue a citation.

Headlights can help drivers see better in the rain, but that’s not the only reason to use them, said CHP spokesman Steve Kohler.

‘‘ Other drivers are more likely to see you in limited visibility,’’ he said.

Lyon, who teaches driving safety classes for senior citizens, said her students often tell her they have trouble seeing black or gray cars in the rain unless drivers use their lights.

Most drivers Perea saw during the morning rush hour had turned on their lights, he said. But compliance tailed off a little around noon, he said, when the sky got a bit brighter.

For Lyon’s part, she tried to motion to her fellow drivers that they should turn on their headlights. But the effort had limited success, she said.

‘‘ I don’t know any signals that say ‘ turn your lights on,’ ’’ Lyon said. ‘‘ The only hand signals I’m aware of are the ones I wouldn’t want to use in the car.’’ Contact Kimra McPherson at kmcpherson@ mercurynews. com or ( 408) 920- 5928.