What lights should be used when driving closely behind another car at night?
2 Answers
When driving closely behind another car at night, you should turn on the low beam headlights. The hazards of improper use of lights during night driving: When driving at night, high beams can cause temporary blindness to oncoming drivers. The duration of this blindness varies depending on the driver's own vision and surrounding environment, but it typically lasts at least 2 seconds. Poor visibility at night means the human eye's ability to judge the speed of oncoming vehicles is compromised. In such conditions, the interference from high beams further reduces this judgment capability. When a following vehicle uses high beams, large areas of glare appear in all three rearview mirrors of the leading vehicle, significantly reducing the driver's view of the road ahead. If the leading vehicle attempts to change lanes or turn at this moment, it becomes impossible to observe the situation behind through the rearview mirrors.
As a long-distance driver who frequently drives at night, I've gained some insights. When following a car closely at night, you must use low beams and avoid switching to high beams. High beams are too bright and reflect off the rearview mirror of the car in front, temporarily blinding the driver and making it dangerous. I once experienced this myself when a car behind me used high beams, nearly causing me to rear-end the car ahead—since then, I've been extra cautious. Additionally, maintain a safe following distance, ideally about twice the length of the car in front, so you have enough time to react if they brake suddenly. Regularly check your lighting system; if bulbs are old or fuses are faulty, automatic switching might fail—safe driving is no small matter and affects everyone. In rainy or foggy conditions, use low beams with fog lights for better visibility, but avoid high beams as they only worsen the situation. In short, make it a habit to use low beams when following cars at night—safety comes first.
