Mississippi · Handbook chapter 8 · 5 min read

Chapter 8: Night driving, seat belts and emergencies

Headlight rules and the 500-foot dimming law, Mississippi's seat belt and child seat law, rain, hydroplaning, skids and blowouts, what to do after a crash, emergency vehicles, and what to expect when police pull you over.

Why this chapter matters

Darkness, rain and emergencies change how you must drive. Mississippi's headlight distances, child seat ages and crash-reporting threshold are all exact figures worth learning.

Driving at night

You can see only as far as your headlights reach, so slow down. Do not overdrive your headlights: never drive so fast that you cannot stop within the distance you can see.

• If an oncoming driver's lights are bright or blinding, dim your lights and look toward the right side of the road.
• If an oncoming car has one headlight, move to the far right of your lane.
• Never wear dark glasses at night or on dark days to cut glare.

Headlight rules

• Use headlights from sunset to sunrise and any time you cannot see clearly 500 feet ahead.
• Switch to low beams within 500 feet of an oncoming vehicle and when following within 500 feet of another vehicle.
• Use high beams only in open country with no other cars near, and even then drive slower than in daylight.
• Use low beams on lit streets, when following another car and in fog, day or night: high beams in fog reduce what you can see.
• Never drive with only parking lights on.

Seat belts and child seats

Mississippi law requires the driver and every passenger, front or back seat, to wear a properly fastened seat belt.

• Children under 4 must ride in a child safety seat that meets safety standards.
• Children 4 to under 7 who are shorter than 4 feet 9 inches or weigh less than 65 pounds must ride in a belt-positioning booster seat.
• Children under 13 should always ride in the back seat.

Violations can bring a fine.

Rain, floods and skids

• The first minutes of rain are the slickest: water lifts oil and dirt into a slippery film. Slow down when rain begins.
• Hydroplaning happens when tires ride up on water, like water skis. The best defense is to slow down on wet roads.
• Do not drive through large areas of standing water. Find another route.
• Most skids come from driving too fast for conditions. If you skid, steer in the direction of the skid, if you can do it without leaving the road or hitting something. Sudden braking makes a skid worse; never use the clutch to stop a skid.

Breakdowns and blowouts

• Blowout or flat tire: do not brake suddenly. Ease off the gas, then brake slowly and gently, or let the car roll to a stop.
• Running off the pavement: brake lightly before returning to the road.
• Breakdown: pull to the far right shoulder and turn on your flashers. If you must walk for help, walk on the left, facing traffic, and never cross an interstate on foot.

After a crash

1. Stop at once and help anyone hurt. Call 911 if needed.
2. Report the crash to law enforcement right away if anyone is hurt or killed, or property damage appears to be over $500. If you are too badly hurt, a passenger may report it.
3. Exchange names, addresses, plate numbers and insurance information with the others involved.

When the officer arrives, show your proof of insurance and policy number. Without it you can be cited even if the crash was not your fault.

To report a highway emergency from a cell phone, dial \*HP (\*47) to reach the Mississippi Highway Patrol. Use it only for real emergencies.

Emergency vehicles

An ambulance, fire engine or police car using red or blue lights, a bell or a siren always has the right-of-way. Pull to the far right and stop until it passes. If you are in an intersection, drive through it first, then pull over.

If an emergency vehicle with lights or siren on is stopped beside a four-lane highway, move into the lane away from it if it is safe; if not, slow down and be ready to stop.

When police pull you over

• Signal and pull off the road as soon as it is safe.
• Turn off the engine and any audio. Stay in the car unless told to get out.
• At night, turn on the interior light.
• Keep your hands on the wheel or in sight, and follow all instructions.
• Lower the window on the side the officer comes to, tell the officer at once if there is a weapon in the car, and wait for instructions before reaching for your license or papers.
• An officer not in uniform should show credentials; you may ask to see them.
• Do not argue at the roadside. Signing a ticket is not an admission of guilt; you can contest it in court, and you can ask for a supervisor at the officer's agency if you have concerns.