Driving at night can be scary. There are many situations that can create anxiety for a driver. One of the biggest worries is not seeing other vehicles or objects in the road due to lack of visibility.
Driving with bright headlights helps to illuminate the road, making it easier to see the road and other vehicles and objects in the road. However, this can be a problem when encountering oncoming traffic.
When one driver has bright headlights on, the other driver will have a hard time seeing which way they are going. This can create panic and potentially dangerous situations.
Dimmed headlights are recommended for nighttime driving to help avoid this issue. This article will talk about the proper ways to dim your headlights for safer driving at night.
50 feet
A good rule of thumb is that a driver should dim his headlights when an oncoming motor vehicle comes within 50 feet. This is a good rule of thumb because it accounts for possible error in perception and measurement.
Sometimes, drivers turn on their high beams instead of dimming their lights when approaching an opposite direction vehicle. This is not a good practice and can be very dangerous.
When a driver turns on their high beams in a dark area, it can blind the other driver and make it harder for them to see what is ahead. This can cause the other driver to take action to avoid what they think is a car in front of them, but actually isn’t.
Drivers should also lower their speed when driving with bright lights on so that they have more time to react if something is in the road ahead of them.
30 feet
In some states, it is a law to dim your headlights when approaching a vehicle from the opposite direction. This is done to prevent be blinded by bright headlights, and to see the road better at a lower intensity.
Headlights can become very bright at night, making it difficult for other drivers to see the road clearly. When headlights are too bright, it can be hard to distinguish color of the road or notice traffic controls such as stop signs and lights.
Drivers should dim their headlights when an oncoming motor vehicle comes within thirty feet of them. This will help prevent a collision as one driver does not have too much time to react to the other.
Drivers who have newer cars with automatic headlight brightness may need to check their settings to make sure they are still working properly.
20 feet
Drivers are advised to dim their headlights when an oncoming motor vehicle comes within 20 feet. This is a precaution to prevent headlight blinding.
Headlight blinding occurs when the driver of the approaching vehicle cannot see due to the brightness of your headlights. This can be dangerous, as they may not see traffic signs or vehicles in front of them.
The reason for this recommendation is because it takes approximately that distance for the eyes to adapt to the light coming from the headlights of an approaching vehicle.
By dimming your headlights at this distance, you are preventing eye adaptation and therefore preventing glare for the approaching driver. More visibility for them means safer driving for both vehicles.
This tip is given in order to prevent road rage and unwanted accidents due to poor visibility. It is a simple precaution that can save lives.
10 feet
In some states, it is required by law to dim your headlights when an oncoming vehicle comes within 10 feet. This is not a recommendation, but a law that can be enforced by police.
Most states have a rule that you should dim your headlights when you are approaching a vehicle from the opposite direction. This rule is not enforced by police, however.
Why is this rule enforced? Why isn’t it simply good practice?
The reason for this rule is because it is very difficult to see the distance between vehicles at night. The vast majority of accidents occur because one driver does not see the other vehicle until it is too late.
By having bright headlights on both vehicles, there is a higher chance of seeing one before the other and avoiding an accident. By having each vehicle’s headlight brightness level reduced, there is a higher chance of detecting the other vehicle earlier and avoiding an accident.
5 feet
When driving at night, a driver should dim his headlights when an oncoming motor vehicle comes within five feet of his vehicle. This is called silhouette detection and is a new feature some cars have.
It uses the headlights to detect the other car and then dims them so you can see the silhouette of the other car. This helps prevent front-end collisions as you can see where they are going.
If your headlights are too bright, it can be difficult to see anything else on the road. Other drivers and pedestrians may have a hard time determining whether they have been seen or not.
Drivers should also avoid using high-beam headlights unless there is oncoming traffic. Leaving them on as backup lighting in case of a failure of other lighting systems is acceptable, though.
Within 5 meters
A good rule of thumb is that when an oncoming vehicle can see your headlights in their rearview mirror, then your headlights are bright enough to see the road.
At night, a driver should dim his headlights when an oncoming motor vehicle comes within five meters of each other. This way, the driver approaching can see the road clearly and avoid any obstacles.
Headlights that are too bright can be a cause of concern for other drivers. It may make them feel like they are not able to see as well, or that you are trying to scare them. It can also cause some cars to swerve, which is definitely not what you want.
This tip is important regardless of the time of day, but is very important at night due to limited visibility.
Within 10 meters
At night, a driver should dim his headlights when an oncoming motor vehicle comes within 10 meters. This is a rule most states have in effect for nighttime driving.
Many states have this law due to the potential danger of a bright headlight encounter. When a driver sees a bright light coming towards them, their natural reaction is to check that their lights are on and to pull forward to see what the other vehicle sees.
This can potentially lead to crashing into the other vehicle as you are shifting forward. Also, if your headlights are dim, then you will not be able to see as far down the road which could lead to another potential crash.
Drivers also have some sense of security when their lights are dimmed- they may feel more secure in checking the road ahead of them. The less reaction time given to the driver may prevent further crashes.
Within 15 meters
Driving at night requires a driver to adjust their headlights. At night, it is harder to see other vehicles and their surroundings due to limited light.
Therefore, the International Road Traffic Convention recommends that at night, a driver should dim his headlights when an oncoming motor vehicle comes within two hundred (200) meters. Then, he should switch them off when the two vehicles meet each other.
Nighttime is a common time for carjackings and robberies. This is because it is harder to see what is happening outside of the car, making it easier for criminals to get away with things. By having bright headlights, it makes it easier to see what is outside of the car.
Drivers should always be cautious about turning off their headlights at night unless absolutely necessary.
