When following closely behind another vehicle at night, you should use:
Answers
Your high beams.
Your low beams.
Your parking lights.
The correct answer and explanation is:
The correct answer is “Your low beams.”
When driving at night, it is essential to adjust your headlights to ensure that you can see the road ahead while also not blinding other drivers. Here’s why low beams are the proper choice when following closely behind another vehicle:
- High Beams: High beams are intended for use on dark, open roads where there is little or no oncoming traffic and no vehicles in front of you. High beams shine brighter and further, which can be blinding to other drivers. When you are following closely behind another vehicle, using high beams can create a dangerous situation, as the light will reflect off the vehicle in front of you, potentially blinding the driver. This could result in a crash, as the driver in front of you would have impaired vision.
- Low Beams: Low beams are designed to provide sufficient light to illuminate the road ahead without blinding other drivers. When you are driving behind another vehicle, low beams prevent your headlights from shining directly into the rearview mirror or side mirrors of the vehicle in front of you. This ensures that both you and the other driver can maintain safe visibility without causing any glare. It is always important to use low beams when following another vehicle at night to maintain a safe distance and avoid distracting or impairing the other driver’s vision.
- Parking Lights: Parking lights are very dim lights meant for use when a vehicle is parked, typically in low-visibility areas such as at night. They are not intended to provide any significant illumination of the road ahead, making them an inappropriate option for driving, especially at night.
In summary, to ensure the safety of both yourself and others on the road, always use low beams when following another vehicle at night.