If the sensors were perfect, there would be no issue. Technology, however, is never perfect. As we enter into winter, and as the number of overcast, rainy and snowy days exceed the number of days with sunshine, drivers and law enforcement officials need to revisit what Michigan law says about the proper usage of headlights.

Michigan law states that headlights must be used when visibility is less than 500 feet. The automatic sensors that the car companies use, however, are not smart enough to always reliably be turned on during these times, particularly in cases where limited visibility — fog, rain or snow — occurs during the daytime hours.

Car companies have invested millions of dollars in perfecting these sensors, but the sensors do more harm than good. The truth is, turning the headlights on should be a reflex, similar to putting on a seat belt whenever drivers start their cars. Because of these sensors, less people are turning on the headlights for themselves while more people are simply relying on their cars to do this for them. And often, their cars fail to do so in situations where headlights are sorely needed as a matter of public safety.

Serious accidents happen as a result. The state of Michigan’s official Web site, www.michigan.gov, estimates that usage of headlights, even on sunny days, can reduce your risk of being in an accident by up to 32 percent.

Driving without headlights on the highway on an overcast day or in the rain or snow with limited visibility at 65 or 70 mph is certainly more dangerous than driving 5 mph over the speed limit on the highway on a bright, sunny day. When changing lanes at high speeds on crowded highways, drivers need to be able to make quick and accurate decisions about whether or not to proceed. If they cannot see the vehicles behind them, they may make a decision that could prove fatal to themselves or others.

Highway traffic enforcement officials, moreover, are simply far less concerned with proper headlight usage and far more concerned with their radar equipment. When was the last time you heard of someone getting a ticket for not having his or her headlights on?

I spend a lot of time on the highway and I count, in cases where visibility is low, just how many of these fancy new cars actually have their headlights turned on. The amount is strikingly low and is quite unnerving. My experience is at least two out of every 10 cars on the highway during daytime hours, in cases of limited visibility, are driving without headlights.

Overwhelmingly, these cars are newer cars whose drivers likely are unaware that their lights aren’t on, and unaware of their responsibility to themselves and to others. The sensors on Chrysler vehicles are particularly poor, and I have had several close calls with dark-colored Chrysler minivans and Jeeps whose lights are off on the highway when almost all other cars have their lights on. I have watched law enforcement officials happily pass by cars that came close to causing serious accidents at high speeds due to a lack of headlight usage.

To combat this glaring safety concern, lawmakers should mandate that car manufacturers do one of two things: simply scrap automatic headlights altogether and force drivers to take responsibility for, and be mindful of, turning their headlights on (instead of spending millions more to perfect automatic headlight technology); or, if they do not trust drivers to use their headlights effectively, mandate every vehicle be equipped with daytime running lights, i.e. lights that never turn off while the vehicle is in motion.

Furthermore, traffic enforcement officials should be more mindful of the serious danger posed to the greater public in situations where drivers do not turn on their headlights when visibility is limited, and should more consistently penalize drivers who are guilty of such behavior. Their cooperation is needed to combat this growing problem.

Farhan Bhatti is a State News columnist and a second-year medical student. Reach him at bhattifa@msu.edu.