Is it illegal to drive with your car’s interior light on in SC? Here’s what the law says
Did your parents tell you it was illegal to turn on a car’s interior light while driving at night?
You’re not the only one. Many South Carolinians may have heard this story as kids, while searching for a lost toy in the dark or trying to read at night.
But are there potential dangers to keeping your interior light on while driving? And is it illegal in South Carolina? As with many traffic laws like texting at a red light or left lane camping, the specifics vary by state.
South Carolina does not have any laws on the books prohibiting driving with the overhead light, confirmed S.C Highway Patrol Master Trooper Brandon Bolt.
While you won’t get pulled over for having your lights on, Bolt said, “It’s not safe, it’s not recommended.”
This is because the interior light can cause glare off the car windows and reduce the driver’s night vision.
Bolt said to compare overhead lights inside a car to those in a building. If you look out the windows of a brightly lit house at night, you’ll mostly see your reflection in the windows. But if the lights are turned off, you can see outside.
By keeping your car lights off after dark, you can be sure you see beyond your windshield and stay safer. Parents everywhere can breathe a sigh of relief.
