The sun rises in Wonder Lake today at 7:22 a.m., Tuesday, Jan. 10, and it sets at 4:39 p.m. That’s not the shortest day of the year but it’s only 9 hours and 17 minutes of daylight. Consider that the longest day of the year, June 21, the sun will rise at 5:16 a.m. (adjusted by an hour when we jumped the clocks forward one hour on March 12) and will set at 8:33 p.m. That represents a 15-hour and 17-minute day. 

The difference is six hours – six hours of additional sunlight in June and six hours less than that now. Translated to fit the concerns of Wonder Lake drivers, that means that you’re far more likely to spend more time driving in the dark. Those lights on your vehicle are critical.

• You have lights designed to help you see – the headlights and, when you backup, the backup lights.
• You have lights designed to help others see you – the running lights.
• And, you have lights designed to help you communicate your intentions to pedestrians and other drivers.

Headlights: You want those headlights to work so you can see where you’re going when it’s dark. You want the ability to switch on the high beams to improve your sight in particular situations. And you want the backup lights to work so you can see where you’re going when you back up. Even if you have a reverse camera, you want those lights working so you can see where you’re going.

Running Lights: You’ll find these on the front, back and sides of the vehicle. They all need to work. They’re positioned to give other drivers an idea of the dimensions of your vehicle so they know where it begins and ends. They help other drivers to keep from running into you.

Communication Lights: These include the brake lights, the reverse lights (dual purpose) and the turn signals. These lights allow you to communicate your intentions before you act behind the wheel. It’s beneficial to all involved when other drivers know when you’re going to stop, turn and/or backup. 

These lights are essential all year round. Some are essential even in broad daylight. For instance, lights that signal your intentions are imperative regardless of the time of day or night. And, though night is shorter in June, you still want those headlights when it gets dark.

It’s just that, in a Wonder Lake winter, we have so much more nighttime during the day. It’s essential that the lights on our vehicles work. It’s a good idea to keep them clean and adjusted, too.