Headlights, Horn and Signals

Key points

1. Turn on headlights whenever windshield wipers are needed.

   Source: Handbook p. 51

   “Arkansas law requires drivers to turn on their headlights when windshield wipers are needed.”
   Arkansas Driver License Study Guide, Handbook p. 51

2. Use headlights from 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise, or when you cannot see 500 feet.

   Source: Handbook p. 51

   “Turn on your headlights a ½ hour (30 minutes) after sunset, a ½ hour (30 minutes) before sunrise, or anytime you cannot see a person or object clearly within 500 feet.”
   Arkansas Driver License Study Guide, Handbook p. 51

3. Driving with only parking lights on is illegal.

   Source: Handbook p. 51

   “It is illegal in Arkansas to drive using only parking lights.”
   Arkansas Driver License Study Guide, Handbook p. 51

4. Dim high beams within 500 feet of an oncoming vehicle, and use low beams within 200 feet of a car you follow.

   Source: Handbook p. 51

   “Dim your high beams whenever you come within 500 feet of an oncoming vehicle. • Use your low-beam headlights when following another vehicle closer than 200 feet.”
   Arkansas Driver License Study Guide, Handbook p. 51

5. Use low beams in fog, snow or heavy rain.

   Source: Handbook p. 51

   “When driving in fog, snow, or heavy rain you should use your low headlight beams.”
   Arkansas Driver License Study Guide, Handbook p. 51

6. Signal at least 100 feet before a turn or lane change.

   Source: Handbook p. 53

   “You should signal your intentions to turn at least 100 feet before the turn.”
   Arkansas Driver License Study Guide, Handbook p. 53

7. Sound a sharp horn blast when a child is about to run into the street or another car may hit you.

   Source: Handbook p. 52

   “A child or older person is about to walk, run, or ride into the street. • Another car is in danger of hitting you.”
   Arkansas Driver License Study Guide, Handbook p. 52

8. Do not use your horn to encourage other vehicles to speed up.

   Source: Handbook p. 52

   “To encourage other vehicles to speed up.”
   Arkansas Driver License Study Guide, Handbook p. 52

Numbers to know

3 questions from the Arkansas practice test

1. 1. When are Arkansas drivers required to turn on their headlights because of weather?

   1. Only when following another vehicle within 200 feet
   2. Only when driving after midnight
   3. When windshield wipers are needed because of rain, snow, or fog
   4. Whenever the parking lights are easier to see
   Show answer

   When windshield wipers are needed because of rain, snow, or fog. Arkansas requires headlights when windshield wipers are needed, including rainy, snowy, or foggy conditions. The lights help the driver see and help other road users notice the vehicle. Midnight is not the trigger, and the 200 foot rule concerns low beams when following another vehicle rather than the weather requirement. Parking lights alone are not a lawful substitute for driving with headlights. Turn them on as soon as weather requires the wipers, then use a speed and following gap that match the reduced visibility and traction.

2. 2. Which headlight setting is recommended in fog, snow, or heavy rain?

   1. Emergency flashers instead of headlights
   2. High beams
   3. Parking lights only
   4. Low beams
   Show answer

   Low beams. Low beams are recommended in fog, snow, or heavy rain because high beams can reflect from the moisture and create glare. That reflection makes the roadway harder to see, even though the higher lamps may seem brighter from the driver's seat. Parking lights do not provide the needed forward lighting, and emergency flashers are not a replacement for headlights while driving. Keep the low beams on, reduce speed when visibility is limited, and leave enough space to stop within the distance you can see. Brightness is not useful if it turns moisture into a visual screen.

3. 3. When must Arkansas drivers turn on their headlights?

   1. 30 minutes after sunset, 30 minutes before sunrise, or whenever you cannot see a person or object clearly within 500 feet
   2. Only after full darkness
   3. Only when it rains
   4. From 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.
   Show answer

   30 minutes after sunset, 30 minutes before sunrise, or whenever you cannot see a person or object clearly within 500 feet. Turn on your headlights a half hour after sunset, a half hour before sunrise, or anytime you cannot see a person or object clearly within 500 feet. Parking lights are for parked cars, and it is illegal in Arkansas to drive using only parking lights. Use high beams when no vehicles are oncoming, and dim them for approaching traffic and when following another vehicle.

Source: the Arkansas Driver License Study Guide, Chapter 5: See and Be Seen. This lesson is a plain English summary, not the law itself; where it differs, the manual and the statute govern. Last checked 2026-09-27.