You may take the lights on your car for granted, but these simple parts play a vital role. The lights on your car help you see where you're going, but they also allow other road users and pedestrians to properly see your vehicle. As such, you should make repairs to any broken or defective lights as soon as possible, or you could fall foul of the law in Nevada. Learn more about the required lighting equipment your car must have in Nevada, and find out what could happen if your vehicle is defective.

Nevada state laws - headlights

Nevada state law includes several rules that relate to the headlights on your car.

Your car must have functioning headlights, and you must turn these lamps on when driving at any time 30 minutes after sunset until 30 minutes before sunrise. You don't just need your headlights on at night, either. Headlights are vital during heavy rain, fog, when driving through a tunnel or at any other time when visibility is poor.

Modern cars normally have multiple beam headlights. You must switch off your high beam when an oncoming vehicle is within 500 feet. You must also switch your beams to low when you are less than 300 feet away from a vehicle in front, or you can dazzle the driver.

Nevada state laws – other lights

State laws in Nevada do not just apply to your headlamps.

Your car must have at least two working tail lamps mounted on the rear. These lamps must only emit a red light, and you need to make sure the light is visible from a distance of up to 500 feet behind you. You also have to make sure your tail lamps are on the same level, no higher than 72 inches from the ground and no lower than 15 inches above the ground.

Cars built after 1969 must also have two stop lamps. Red, amber or yellow stop lamps are all acceptable, but you need to make sure drivers behind you can see the lamps from a distance of at least 300 feet.

Modern car designers increasingly mix up the different lights on the back of the car in larger consoles. In Nevada, you can drive a car that has stop lamps incorporated with the tail lamps, but you can't customize the lights unless you stick within the rules that apply to each type of lamp.

Your car doesn't have to have fog lights, but vehicles cannot have more than two of these extra lamps. You need to make sure that no part of the beam from a fog light strikes an approaching driver's windshield, windows or mirrors.

What the authorities can do

If a traffic cop or a vehicle safety inspector finds defective equipment on your car, he or she may simply give you a notice that orders you to fix the problem. For example, if one of your brake lights is not clearly visible, the inspector cop may decide you can still drive safely home, assuming you then fix the problem.

If the inspector decides the problem is too dangerous (for you or other road users), he or she can insist you stop driving immediately. In this situation, you would have to arrange for a mechanic to tow your vehicle to the repair shop.

Other penalties can apply. For example, if you fail to dim your headlights or your headlights are defective and won't dim, a traffic cop can issue you with 2 demerit points. These points remain on your license for 12 months. What's more, if you reach 12 points in any 12-month period, you could lose your license for a year.

If you've got a problem with any of your car's lights, you should go to the repair shop like Steven & Francine's Complete Automotive Repair Inc straight away. Many problems are cheap and easy to fix, and if you put off these simple repairs, you could run into problems with the law.