Should I Use High and Low Beams When Overtaking on the Highway at Night?

[Katherine]

When overtaking, you should switch from high beams to low beams in advance and turn on the turn signal to inform the vehicle ahead of your position and intention. When the distance to the vehicle ahead is less than 80-100 meters, you should switch back to low beams. Otherwise, the strong glare from your high beams may affect the driver's view through the side and rearview mirrors, compromising their ability to observe the situation behind and indirectly reducing the safety of the overtaking maneuver. Additionally, you can use the high beams of the vehicle ahead to observe the road further ahead. In foggy conditions with visibility less than 200 meters, turn on the fog lights, low beams, marker lights, and front and rear position lights. If visibility drops below 100 meters, activate the fog lights, low beams, marker lights, front and rear position lights, and hazard warning flashers. When visibility is less than 50 meters, turn on the fog lights, low beams, marker lights, front and rear position lights, and hazard warning flashers. Additionally, reduce your speed to no more than 20 kilometers per hour and exit the highway at the nearest available exit as soon as possible. During normal driving at night, use the nighttime running lights and width indicator lights. If there are no vehicles ahead, you may briefly switch to high beams to observe the road and surroundings further ahead, then quickly switch back to low beams.