Posted on Feb 02, 2026

In Missouri, you could potentially be found at fault or partially at fault if you're in an accident while driving in rain without headlights on, because Missouri law requires headlights to be on during certain conditions.

Missouri's headlight law requires you to use headlights:

When visibility is reduced to 500 feet or less

Whenever you're using windshield wipers (which typically means rain)

If you violate this requirement and get into an accident, it could establish negligence per se - meaning the violation of the safety statute itself can be evidence of fault. However, fault in Missouri accidents isn't always black and white.

Key points about Missouri fault:

Missouri follows pure comparative fault, which means even if you're partially at fault for not having headlights on, you can still recover damages - they'll just be reduced by your percentage of fault. For example, if you're found 30% at fault for the headlight violation but the other driver was 70% at fault for running a stop sign, you could still recover 70% of your damages.

Whether the headlight violation actually contributed to causing the accident would matter. If the other driver rear-ended you at a stoplight, for instance, your missing headlights might not be seen as a contributing factor. But if visibility was poor and the lack of headlights made your vehicle harder to see, that could increase your fault percentage.

Bottom line: Yes, driving without headlights in the rain in Missouri could contribute to a fault determination, but it would depend on whether that violation actually played a role in causing the specific accident.