Think Flashing Your Headlights Is Legal in Minnesota? Think Again

If you've ever flashed your headlights at another driver to let them know their high beams are blinding you, you're definitely not alone. But did you know that a "hey, turn those things down!' warning could actually put you on the wrong side of the law here in Minnesota?

There are many things we do when we're behind the wheel that are rude to our fellow drivers. Things like tailgating too closely, camping out in and continuously driving in the left lane while on the highway instead of moving back over the right lane, or not letting someone in while doing the zipper merge are all rude driving behaviors.

Another behavior behind the wheel that also annoys many drivers throughout the Land of 10,000 Lakes is when an oncoming car continues to drive toward you with its high beams on, blinding you in the process. This driving pet peeve seems even worse today, as more and more cars sport those new extra-bright Xenon or LED headlights.

SEE ALSO: Here's the Location of Every Flock Safety Camera in Rochester 

Why Minnesota Drivers Are Blinded by Bright LED Headlights

And, no, you're not just imagining it, those new LED headlights ARE much brighter than the older-style headlights. This CBS News story says that most new vehicles in the North Star State come equipped with LED headlights that can be up to four or five times as bright as older headlights.

Photo by Douglas Fehr on Unsplash

The brightness of light is measured in lumens. An old-school halogen headlight bulb puts out about 1,000 lumens. An LED bulb puts out about 4,000 lumens. But some aftermarket LED bulbs (many of which are illegal) say they put out a whopping 12,000 lumens, CBS News noted.

Now, while these new headlights are much brighter, the good news is that they're often found on vehicles that are also equipped with automatic headlights that contain sensors which automatically turn their brightest setting off when oncoming traffic is detected.

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Can You Flash Your Headlights at Another Driver in Minnesota?

But what do you do if a car coming towards you still has its high beams on? Many of us flash OUR headlights at the oncoming vehicle, hoping they'll get the hint and turn their high beams off, right? However, it turns out if you do that-- like many of us have done-- you're breaking the law here in the Gopher State.

That's right, according to Trooper Jesse Grabow of the Minnesota State Patrol in this Star-News story, flashing your headlights at another car is illegal in Minnesota:

A person is not allowed to “flash” their headlights at another vehicle, even if that vehicle has its high beams on. When meeting a vehicle in Minnesota, dim your headlights to low beams at 1,000 feet (even on a divided roadway.) Also use your low beams when you’re following another vehicle at 200 feet or less.

I had no idea flashing your headlights at another car was against the law. And I confess to breaking that one often if someone is coming towards me with their high beams on. However, my wife found this out in-person after she was pulled over by a State Patrol trooper last year and given a warning for having done that same thing.

What Should You Do When a Minnesota Driver Uses High Beams?

So what are you supposed to do? Well, Sgt. Grabow suggests that, instead of looking directly into those blinding oncoming headlights, you should focus on the white line near the right shoulder of the road until the car passes. (Yeah, good luck with that!)

Speaking of driving, have you heard of the Must-Drive road here in Minnesota? (I thought maybe it was Highway-61 north of Duluth, along the North Shore-- but nope, that's not it!) Keep scrolling to check out a list of the best Must-Drive roads in all 50 states.