At night and in weather conditions such as rain, snow or fog, you cannot see as far ahead, even with headlights. Slow down when driving at night, especially on unlit roads and whenever weather conditions reduce your visibility.
Overdriving your headlights: You are overdriving your headlights when you go so fast that your stopping distance is farther than you can see with your headlights. This is a dangerous thing to do, because you may not give yourself enough room to make a safe stop. Reflective road signs can mislead you as well, making you believe you can see farther than you really can. This may cause you to over-drive your headlights if you are not careful.
Night driving requires extra caution because your depth perception, color recognition, and peripheral vision are all compromised in darkness. Your eyes need time to adjust to changing light conditions, and this adjustment period leaves you temporarily vulnerable.
Reduce your speed at night to compensate for reduced visibility. Even with headlights, your ability to see and react to hazards is significantly diminished. Objects that are clearly visible during the day may be nearly invisible at night, including pedestrians, cyclists, animals, and road obstacles.
Be especially cautious on rural roads and highways where there is no street lighting. These roads often have unexpected curves, hills, or other hazards that become apparent only when your headlights illuminate them. Always drive at a speed that allows you to stop within the distance your headlights can illuminate.
Avoid looking directly at oncoming headlights, as this can temporarily blind you and make it difficult to see the road ahead. Instead, focus on the right edge of the road and use your peripheral vision to monitor oncoming traffic.
Slow down at night, especially on unlit roads
Never drive faster than stopping distance allows
Overdriving headlights prevents safe stopping
Reflective signs can create false sense of visibility
Night reduces depth perception, color recognition, peripheral vision