Here are some stories you may have missed this week in central Ohio.

Fall has officially arrived in central Ohio, and that means the days will only grow shorter (and colder) in the coming months.

That means drivers will be spending more time driving around in darkness or in low visibility conditions. But you can't just use your brights whenever you want to.

Ohio has specific sections of law dedicated to how drivers should use their headlights and when they should use them. If you're struggling to recall this information from high school driving class, here's what you need to know.

When is it illegal to use your brights in Ohio?

The only time you're not allowed to use your brights in Ohio is when you're approaching an oncoming vehicle, according to the Ohio Revised Code.

"Whenever the driver of a vehicle approaches an oncoming vehicle, such driver shall use a distribution of light, or composite beam, so aimed that the glaring rays are not projected into the eyes of the oncoming driver," the law says.

Violating this law is a minor misdemeanor, punishable by up to a $150 fine or 30 hours of community service.

When do you have to use headlights in Ohio?

If you've ever seen a car driving around at night without their headlights on, they were breaking the law.

Ohio drivers are required to use their headlights from sunset to sunrise, whenever visibility is less than 1,000 feet due to low light or weather and any time the car's windshield wipers are wiping away rain.

Violating these requirements is a minor misdemeanor.

Do you have to have your headlights on in the rain?

If your visibility is less than 1,000 feet or your windshield wipers are on, you have to use your headlights.

However, Ohio law enforcement officers are generally barred from pulling over a driver whose sole violation is using their windshield wipers without their headlights on, according to the Ohio Revised Code. You may still be pulled over if there is a local law that allows police to stop drivers for this violation.

Transportation and Neighborhoods Reporter Nathan Hart can be reached at NHart@dispatch.com, at @NathanRHart on X and at nathanhart.dispatch.com on Bluesky.

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