DEAR SUN SPOTS: Am I correct that there is a state law that says you must have your vehicle lights on if your windshield wipers are on? — Pat Sawyer, New Gloucester

ANSWER: Sun Spots is once again greatly indebted to Sgt. David Chick, inspector of police of the Lewiston Police Department. He has become her go-to guy for this type of question and always responds fully and promptly. Sun Spots is extremely grateful.

For this question — to which the answer is yes — he sent her the statutes, available online to anyone smart enough to find them, which obviously Sun Spots was not. (Actually, it did not occur to her to look.)

In addition to the rules on windshield wipers and headlights, there are some other interesting rules of which drivers may not be aware. Here are edited excerpts:

Maine Revised Statutes, Title 29-A: Motor Vehicles Heading: PL 1993, 

1. Display of headlights. A vehicle located on a way must be equipped with headlights as described in section 1904. The headlights must be illuminated:

A. During the period half hour after sunset to half hour before sunrise; 

B. At any time when, due to insufficient light or unfavorable atmospheric conditions, including, but not limited to, rain, freezing rain, fog or snow, persons or vehicles on the way are not discernible for a distance of 1,000 feet ahead; and

C. At any time when windshield wipers are in constant use.

This subsection does not apply to a vehicle that is parked or standing off the main traveled portion of the way.

2. Dimming. When a vehicle equipped with multiple-beam road lights approaches an oncoming vehicle within 500 feet or follows a vehicle within 300 feet, the operator shall dim the headlights or switch to a low beam and shall turn off a fog light allowed by section 1909-A, unless the fog light was installed by the vehicle manufacturer at the time the vehicle was originally manufactured.

3. Parking or standing. Unless a municipal ordinance specifically provides otherwise, a vehicle may not be parked or stand on or beside the left-hand side of a way during the times when lighted lamps are required in a manner that its lights project in the direction of oncoming traffic.

Sun Spots wishes everyone paid attention to the part of the law about using your bright lights when following another vehicle. She is tired of being blinded from behind.

One night in the wee hours heading home from the Sun Journal, Sun Spots, who takes her time driving home to avoid deer and other critters, pulled over to let a car with really bright lights pass her. Instead, the vehicle pulled up behind her.

Fortunately, it turned out to be a county sheriff suspicious of her slow driving rather than a criminal with evil intent. 

DEAR SUN SPOTS: I want to thank the readers for their generosity to Turner Elementary School and Tripp Middle School for sending their Box Tops for Education.

Even though its summer we are still collecting. If you have any Box Tops or Campbell Soup labels that you would like to donate to our school, please mail them to me at 5 Brookfield Estate, Turner, ME 04282. Thank you! — Laurie Labbe, Box Tops coordinator, laurie.labbe@willis.com

This column is for you, our readers. It is for your questions and comments. There are only two rules: You must write to the column and sign your name (we won’t use it if you ask us not to). Please include your phone number. Letters will not be returned or answered by mail, and telephone calls will not be accepted. Your letters will appear as quickly as space allows. Address them to Sun Spots, P.O. Box 4400, Lewiston, ME 04243-4400. Inquiries can also be emailed to sunspots@sunjournal.com.

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