Many drivers make the error of dimming their headlights too soon for oncoming vehicles.
When driving at 100 km/h, you may not have to dim your high beams until the approaching vehicle is about four seconds away from you, but a realistic approach is to dim your lights between eight and 12 seconds away.
While you need to see the road, you should not blind the oncoming driver with the glare of your lights. You may find that some drivers approaching you will signal you to lower your lights while they are up to 20 seconds away. This applies to vehicles you are meeting and vehicles you are following. To avoid blinding other drivers, make sure your headlights are properly adjusted and are in working order.
If you have been driving in the dark for a while, you will need up to five seconds to recover from the glare of oncoming lights. This glare recovery time tends to increase with age to the point where it sometimes takes up to 25 seconds to recover. If you suspect you have a glare recovery problem, check with an ophthalmologist or optometrist.
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