Headlights help you see and help others see you. New Jersey sets exact times for using them and rules for high beams. Parking has its own long list of distances and places, and these numbers show up often on the test.
Know the rule
Headlights must be on from one-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise.
Handbook p. 84 ↗Headlights are also required
- When visibility is 500 feet or less
- When you're using windshield wipers (rain, snow, ice)
- In fog, mist, smoke or anything else that reduces visibility
Know the rule
Parking or auxiliary lights may not be used in place of headlights when headlights are required.
Handbook p. 84 ↗Know the rule
Use high beams in open country with no traffic in sight. Use low beams in cities and traffic, and whenever you're behind another vehicle or one is approaching.
Handbook p. 84 ↗Time to recover from oncoming high-beam glare; at 50 mph you travel a football field's length unable to see
Handbook p. 84 ↗Know the rule
If an oncoming driver uses high beams, look toward the right side of the road until the vehicle passes. Never flash your high beams at an approaching motorist.
Handbook p. 84 ↗Know the rule
Parking lights are for short periods to show where a vehicle is parked. They are required on vehicles parked outside business or residential zones.
Handbook p. 84 ↗Other lights
- Taillights come on with headlights and parking lights and brighten when you brake
- Interior lights: only briefly, or when a police officer asks you to light the compartment
- Dashboard lights: keep them dim but readable to avoid glare
- Spotlights and hazard flashers: emergencies only; spotlights never for driving
- Fog lights: may be used with low beams, especially in fog
Know the rule
Check for traffic, bicycles and mopeds before opening your door; opening a door into traffic may make you liable for a crash. Passengers should exit on the curb side.
Handbook p. 85 ↗Most you may park from the curb
Handbook p. 85 ↗Never park within
- 10 feet of a fire hydrant
- 20 feet of the end of a pedestrian safety zone
- 25 feet of a crosswalk at an intersection (except at alleys)
- 50 feet of a railroad crossing
- 50 feet of a stop sign
- 20 feet of a fire station driveway, or 75 feet across the street from one
Never stop or park
- In a crosswalk, on a sidewalk, or within an intersection
- Between a safety zone and the curb
- Near properly marked street construction
- In a disability parking space unless authorized
- On an interstate highway
- In a bus stop zone or in front of a driveway
- On a bridge, elevated roadway or in a tunnel
- Next to a car parked at the curb (double parking)
- Where a municipal ordinance prohibits parking
Know the rule
These parking bans apply unless a police officer directs you or you must stop to avoid a crash. For mechanical trouble, stop on the right shoulder and turn on your flashers.
Handbook p. 86 ↗Put it into practice
You find a curbside space 40 feet past a stop sign, next to a hydrant 12 feet away. The hydrant is fine (beyond 10 feet), but you're within 50 feet of the stop sign, so you can't park there.