Driving at night is a life risking task. The light from incoming traffic is one of the main causes of night visual impairments for drivers. The most crucial safety shield you have when driving at night is your set of headlights. Although headlights, high beams, and fog lights are intended to improve nighttime visibility for drivers, they may potentially have unfavorable impacts. Glare can slow your response time, be annoying and distract you.
Driving at night requires careful consideration of a number of factors,
- Always have your headlight atleast in a normal range to have a clear vision of the path and oncoming vehicles.
- Think about changing your headlights. Sometimes a car’s headlights are not exactly symmetrical or are inclined lower to the ground than is necessary.
- Make a clear picture or trial on vehicles moving ahead.
- As it’s night ride make sure you have your speeds limited to reduce number of accidents.
- Beware of drunken drivers and also make sure you don’t consume alcohol when driving.
- Fatigue, which makes driving more difficult by dulling focus and delaying response time, is another factor that increases the hazard of nighttime driving.
Dimming headlights when you have vehicles ahead.
- If driving with high beams, atleast at 500 ft distance between oncoming vehicle headlights should be dimmed.
High beam headlights can blind approaching drivers, making it more difficult for them to see lanes by causing the pupil of the eye to contract and potential dangers, and they can also have an adverse effect on vehicles who are following you by being excessively bright in their rear view. If you want to use your headlights in full brightness, you need to be at least more than 500 ft away.
In instances like, when there are streetlights, you can use your full beam headlights. Just be considerate of other road users, such bicycles and pedestrians. Avoid staring at the headlights of approaching cars since doing so can make your pupils constrict, which will impair your ability to perceive potential dangers. If you become disoriented, keep your eyes to the left of the road, go slowly, and if necessary, stop, until your vision clears. Before beginning an overtaking maneuver, you are permitted to momentarily flash your headlights to assist alert the driver in front of you that you are doing so. While some modern vehicles feature automated high beam headlight dimming, these systems are still not flawless and have the drawback of making drivers less likely to check their lights manually. If a police officer is directing traffic, you should lower your headlights.
- If we are behind a vehicle following up, headlights should be dimmed atleast at 200 ft distance.
As you are following up a vehicle, the vehicle ahead has its headlights on and if the vehicle behind too has its high beam on it would create more difficult for oncoming vehicle drivers to see lanes by causing the pupil of the eye to contract and potential dangers, and they can also have an adverse effect on vehicles who are following you by being excessively bright in their rear view.
Dimming headlights for some other reasons.
- Never drive in the rain, snow, or fog while using your high beam headlights. They could really impair your vision in such circumstances. Directly into the fog or precipitation, high beams will shine, reflecting the dazzling light back to you. Snowflakes and ice crystals will reflect even more light back to you during snowstorms. A wall of glare, which will make it increasingly harder for you to see the road, is the risky outcome.
- At night, it is more challenging to determine the speeds and separations of other cars. Don’t turn your headlights on too high. Otherwise, you are putting yourself and your car at danger of a blind crash.
- At night, short-range beams are sufficient for illuminating the road, therefore low beams are best employed when driving in traffic and in well-lit urban areas.
Conclusion
Driving at night puts your life at danger. One of the key factors contributing to nighttime vision problems for drivers is the light from approaching traffic. Although headlights, high beams, and fog lights are designed to increase driver visibility at night, they might also have adverse effects. The headlights of the vehicle can be dimmed when atleast at 500 ft distance an oncoming vehicle is seen and when you follow up a vehicle in same path at atleast 200 ft distance. Also headlights can be dimmed for several other reasons like driving in the rain, snow, or fog or when a vehicle at distance approaching at high speed or when driving in traffic.
FAQ
Is driving at night safe?
Yes in some instances but it is still a risk factor.
When should you dim your headlights when driving at night?
The headlights of the vehicle can be dimmed when atleast at 500 ft distance an oncoming vehicle is seen and when you follow up a vehicle in same path at atleast 200 ft distance. Also headlights can be dimmed for several other reasons like driving in the rain, snow, or fog or when a vehicle at distance approaching at high speed or when driving in traffic.
Is there any instance you can use high beams?
Ofcourse yes. In interstate highways, when there is no sign of other vehicles or street light, when you travel in rural or urban areas.
