617-625-8400
Earlier this month we announced the new MA headlight law that went into effect on April 7, 2015. This law mandated the use of headlights when driving conditions require the use of windshield wipers. The most important aspect of the law was not the fine but that any offenses would result in an insurance surcharge for the driver. This has been met with quite a bit of criticism and now an attempt to repeal the law.
How the Law Was Passed
The new MA headlight law was originally sponsored by Representative Linsky of Natick, MA. It was passed during an information Legislature session this past December. If objected to, it would have then gone to the formal session. It seemed to sneak by unnoticed during the informal session and was therefore passed. Now, legislatures have filed a bill to repeal that same law.
Repeal or Revise?
Some legislators have filed a bill to repeal the MA headlight law while others have proposed a rider to repeal only the surcharge portion of the law. The rider would be retroactive, so anyone ticketed since the April 7th enactment of the law would not experience an insurance surcharge for the offense. Representative Linsky, the original sponsor of the law, is one of the individuals supporting this rider. There is broad support for the change, so MA drivers will likely not have to worry about an increase in insurance rates for failing to turn on their headlights. We will keep you posted on any additional developments on the MA headlight law.
