I think your husband did the right thing by going to a less traveled road for safety. Getting home 30" to 1 hr or so later is better than nothing getting there at all...
My lights are set on automatic, so they are always on while driving. That's how they were set when we bought the car and I just left them that way. I see lots of people driving in the rain and stormy or dark conditions without their headlights on. I just think it is a safety thing to have them on and not to have to think about it.