Headlights, night driving and bad weather

Key points

1. Headlights must be on from sunset to sunrise or when visibility is less than 1,000 feet.

   Source: Handbook p. 16

   “Colorado law requires you to drive with your headlights on from sunset to sunrise or when visibility is less than 1,000 feet.”
   Colorado Driver Handbook, Handbook p. 16

2. Do not drive with only your parking lights on.

   Source: Handbook p. 16

   “Do not drive with only your parking lights on.”
   Colorado Driver Handbook, Handbook p. 16

3. Dim high beams before coming within 500 feet of an oncoming vehicle.

   Source: Handbook p. 16

   “you must dim them before coming within 500 feet of any oncoming vehicle so the oncoming driver is not blinded by the glare.”
   Colorado Driver Handbook, Handbook p. 16

4. Use low beams, with fog lights off, when within 200 feet of the vehicle ahead.

   Source: Handbook p. 16

   “you must use your low beam lights, with your fog lights off, if you are within 200 feet of the vehicle ahead of you.”
   Colorado Driver Handbook, Handbook p. 16

5. In rain, fog, ice, high winds and dust, the two most important actions are to slow down and increase following distance.

   Source: Handbook p. 16

   “the two most important actions you can take are to slow your speed and increase your following distance.”
   Colorado Driver Handbook, Handbook p. 16

6. Do not use cruise control on wet or icy highways.

   Source: Handbook p. 16

   “If the highway is wet or icy, do not use cruise control.”
   Colorado Driver Handbook, Handbook p. 16

7. If you hydroplane, do not try to stop or turn until your tires grip the road again.

   Source: Handbook p. 16

   “Do not try to stop or turn until your tires are gripping the road again.”
   Colorado Driver Handbook, Handbook p. 16

8. Do not drive through large bodies of standing water. Find another route.

   Source: Handbook p. 16

   “Do not drive through large bodies of standing water on the road. If you see a flooded roadway, find another route to get to your destination.”
   Colorado Driver Handbook, Handbook p. 16

Numbers to know

3 questions from the Colorado practice test

1. 1. When visibility is less than 1,000 feet in Colorado, which lighting rule applies?

   1. Turn lights off to reduce reflected glare
   2. Use parking lights only
   3. Drive with headlights on
   4. Use hazard flashers instead of headlights
   Show answer

   Drive with headlights on. Colorado requires headlights from sunset to sunrise and whenever visibility is less than 1,000 feet. Fog, heavy snow, dust, or darkness can make that threshold important even during daytime. Parking lights do not provide the required driving illumination, and hazard flashers do not replace headlights. High beams can reflect from fog and make the view worse, so use low beams or fog lights when appropriate. The practical cue is poor visibility itself: turn on the headlights before objects and road markings become difficult to see.

2. 2. What two actions are most important when driving in rain, fog, ice, high winds, or dust?

   1. Slow your speed and increase your following distance
   2. Maintain the limit and follow more closely
   3. Use high beams and accelerate through the hazard
   4. Stop in the travel lane and turn off all lights
   Show answer

   Slow your speed and increase your following distance. Colorado identifies slower speed and a larger following distance as the two most important responses to inclement weather. Reduced visibility and reduced traction make hazards harder to see and stopping harder to complete, so extra space and a controlled pace provide more time. Maintaining the limit exactly can be too fast for conditions, and following closely removes the cushion you need. High beams can create glare in fog. Scan farther ahead and adjust before traction or visibility deteriorates.

3. 3. What should you avoid using when the highway is wet or icy?

   1. The windshield defroster
   2. Low beam headlights
   3. The rearview mirror
   4. Cruise control
   Show answer

   Cruise control. On wet or icy pavement, cruise control can keep adding power when tires need gentle input. Colorado’s weather advice is to avoid cruise control on those surfaces and manage speed yourself. Low beams, mirrors, and defrosters can all help visibility and awareness, so they are not the problem. The cue is any slick or shiny roadway surface under the tires.

Source: the Colorado Driver Handbook, Night Driving and Weather. 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.