|
|
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
By Michael Nichols
Categories: Wendy M. Schiller-Nichols, OWI
Wendy Schiller-Nichols was able to get a careless driving (civil infraction) for a client charged with Operating While Intoxicated (OWI). She was stopped for not having her headlights turned on. According to the statute pertaining to headlights (MCL 257.700(b), "whenever the driver of a vehicle approaches an oncoming vehicle within 500 feet, such driver shall use a distribution of light or composite beam so aimed that the glaring rays are not projected into the eyes of the oncoming driver." The statute is vague and does not specifically state that one has to have their "headlights" turned on. Instead, the statute merely states that when your car approaches an oncoming car that is within 500 feet, your vehicle must have a distribution of light so that the light does not glare rays into the eyes of the oncoming driver. A civil infraction, Careless Driving, carries a court fine, 3 points on your driving record and $500.00 for two consecutive years to the SOS. Careless Driving is not a criminal conviction.
If you need an attorney who knows the law and can defend your rights, contact the Nichols Law Firm at (517) 432-9000.