VIDEO REPORT: 2013 Nissan Sentra Outshines the Competition

Nashville, Tenn. - A new Nissan innovation could help drivers avoid getting a ticket for not turning on their car's headlights when it is raining.

Nearly 30 states require a driver's car headlights be turned on in rain or heavy fog. That is part of the motivation behind the new Nissan Sentra's enhanced headlight feature, "Smart Auto Headlights."

Automatic headlamps used by many cars respond to light conditions outside. The Smart Auto Headlights take it one step further. These headlights, and taillights, automatically come on after four wiper cycles.

Nissan's John Curl, senior manager, Product Planning, says this feature takes the technology of auto headlights to a new level: "Actually it could help you avoid getting a ticket because officers will stop you in some states if you do not have your headlights on."

This Smart Auto Headlights feature is already available on the new Nissan Altima, Pathfinder and Quest. For Sentra, this is an option with the SV driver package, the SR driver package and it comes standard on the SL model Sentra.

Nissan's team says this feature is one you will likely see on more new models coming soon. And at some point, Smart Auto Headlights could become a built-in feature on all Nissan vehicles.

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