Seeing is Believing

With fewer hours of daylight and winter weather upon us, ensuring that your car's headlights are in proper working order could be a lifesaver.

"Lights play a major role in safe driving, as the chance of an accident increases if you can't see or be seen," says Rich White, executive director of the Car Care Council in Bethesda, Md.

In addition to replacing flickering or non-functioning lights, the Car Care Council recommends motorists keep their cars' lights clean and free from debris at all times. Ensure that they're properly aimed - misaligned lights can blind oncoming drivers and poorly illuminate the road (consult the car's owners' manual for directions on how to check and correct the aiming of its headlights). Also, since plastic headlight lenses tend to grow dull over time, if your car is several years old you may want to renew them to full transparency via a simple restoration kit available at auto parts stores. -