What are the precautions for driving through a tunnel?

[ChristopherMarie]

Precautions for driving through a tunnel: 1. No overtaking: In general two-lane tunnels, drive at a normal speed on the right side of the road. Do not change lanes inside the tunnel, and absolutely avoid overtaking. Speed limit signs are usually prominently displayed at the tunnel entrance, and there are also speed limit reminders inside the tunnel. Maintain a normal speed and do not exceed the limit. 2. Drive on the right: When passing through a two-way tunnel, drive on the right side of the road. Turn on your lights as needed, pay attention to oncoming vehicles, and avoid honking inside the tunnel. When approaching the tunnel, carefully observe traffic signs or information boards. Pay special attention to height restrictions for trucks, and vehicles exceeding the height limit are strictly prohibited from entering the tunnel. Do not rely on intuition to judge your speed inside the tunnel; always confirm your speed using the speedometer and maintain an appropriate following distance.

[LaMia]

On long-distance drives, I love studying driving details, and my biggest fear in tunnels is visual traps: you must turn on the low beams 100 meters before entering the tunnel, which is roughly the distance of ten utility poles. Rolling down the windows and turning off the music helps detect unusual sounds. The blinding white sunlight when exiting the tunnel is the most dangerous—wearing sunglasses or squinting in advance can prevent sudden glare. Last week, I saw a rear-end collision caused by slamming the brakes upon exiting the tunnel—maintaining a 150-meter following distance is safest, about the length of three utility poles on the highway. Overtaking inside a tunnel is a major taboo; even in dual lanes, you must patiently queue. Remember, if danger arises, don’t swerve abruptly. Pull over to the right, and place the warning triangle 100 meters behind the car—farther than a basketball court!

[ClaytonLee]

Last time I took my kids on a self-driving trip through a 12-kilometer ultra-long tunnel, I summarized a few key takeaways: Check your car lights two kilometers before entering the tunnel to avoid becoming invisible like that black car in the next lane that forgot to turn on its lights. Switch the air conditioning to internal circulation in advance to avoid inhaling exhaust fumes, as kids are prone to coughing. Focus on the dashed lines on the ground to maintain your lane, as some tunnel curves can subtly steer you off course. Don’t panic in emergencies—emergency phones are available every 500 meters, with bright yellow boxes that are highly visible. Exiting the tunnel is even more challenging, as your eyes haven’t adjusted to the sunlight yet; reducing speed to below 60 km/h is safer, and you should only proceed when you can clearly see the outline of the car behind you in the rearview mirror.

[McCali]

Mountain driving veterans share three tips: When entering a tunnel, treat it like walking into a movie theater—slow down in advance and turn on your headlights to adapt to the darkness. A clever trick for maintaining safe distance is watching the reflective road studs—under normal driving conditions, they should flash by in pairs. If suddenly facing a breakdown, never exit your vehicle; activate hazard lights and retreat to the maintenance lane—crossing lanes inside a tunnel is risking your life. Be aware of crosswinds near ventilation shafts that may suddenly make the steering wheel feel light; keep a firm grip. Upon exiting the tunnel, briefly shield the dashboard glare with your hand to prevent blinding sunlight distraction. Wet roads drastically reduce tire grip when entering tunnels—avoid sharp steering maneuvers.