Roadwise States Maine Driving lessons Night driving Maine driving lesson · Special Driving Conditions
Night driving A 3-minute lesson from the Maine course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
Read time 3 minutes
Course unit Special Driving Conditions
Checkpoint questions 6
Source pages 112, 118 At night you can see less, and so can everyone else. Use your high beams when you can, dim them when you must, and give yourself extra time and space.
Tips for driving at night: Use high beams when there are no oncoming vehicles; they let you see twice as far as low beams Dim high beams for oncoming traffic; if the other driver doesn't dim, look toward the right side of the road Use low beams when following another vehicle In fog, rain or snow, use low beams to avoid glare (some vehicles have fog lights) Don't look directly into other headlights; keep scanning the road around you Search well ahead of your headlight beams for dark shapes in or near the road Glance right and left to check the pavement edges and hazards to the sides Don't wear sunglasses or colored lenses at night or on cloudy days Handbook p. 112 ↗ High beams when no one is ahead Low beams for oncoming traffic Low beams when following another vehicle Nearly 3 times How much higher the fatal accident rate is at night than in daytime, even with fewer miles driven
Handbook p. 118 ↗ Know the rule
It's good practice to drive slower at night, because darkness restricts overall visibility.
Handbook p. 118 ↗ Know the rule
Tinted or colored lenses reduce the light you need for good vision.
Handbook p. 112 ↗ Put it into practice
You're on an unfamiliar country road at night, following a pickup at your usual four seconds. Switch to low beams because you're following, and drop back to at least six seconds: four, plus two for night on an unfamiliar road.
A useful reminder High beams see twice as far, but switch to low when following, meeting traffic, or in fog, rain or snow.
Check your understanding Read the question, decide on an answer, then open it to check the explanation. These are Roadwise study questions based on the source handbook.
How much should you increase your following distance at night compared to daytime? At least 5 additional seconds At least 10 additional seconds At least 1 additional second No change is needed Answer: At least 1 additional second
Increase your following distance by at least a second at night.
Handbook p. 112 ↗ How much extra following distance is recommended at night on an unfamiliar road? At least 4 additional seconds At least 6 additional seconds At least 10 additional seconds At least 2 additional seconds Answer: At least 2 additional seconds
Add at least two seconds for night driving on unfamiliar roads.
Handbook p. 112 ↗ What should you do if an oncoming vehicle does not dim its high beams? Look toward the right side of the roadway Pull directly onto the gravel shoulder Slow to a complete stop in the travel lane Flash your own high beams repeatedly Answer: Look toward the right side of the roadway
Look toward the right side of the road to avoid being blinded by the oncoming headlights.
Handbook p. 112 ↗ How does the fatal accident rate at night compare to daytime driving? About the same Ten times greater Nearly three times greater Slightly lower Answer: Nearly three times greater
The fatal accident rate for night driving is nearly three times greater than for daytime driving.
Handbook p. 118 ↗ What should you avoid wearing while driving at night? Clear contact lenses A hat with a brim Sunglasses or colored lenses Prescription glasses Answer: Sunglasses or colored lenses
Do not wear sunglasses or colored lenses at night, as they reduce needed light for good vision.
Handbook p. 112 ↗ High beams let you see about four times as far as low beams. True False Answer: False
False. The handbook says high beams let you see twice as far as low beams, so use them whenever there are no oncoming vehicles.
Handbook p. 112 ↗ Previous lesson Emergency vehicles, police stops and slow-moving vehicles Next lesson Work zones and rural roads More in Special Driving Conditions About the source Roadwise’s Maine course uses the driver handbook edition supplied with this study pack. This lesson cites source pages 112, 118. The linked PDF is a third-party mirror of the handbook, rather than a government-hosted page.
Open the handbook source PDF · View the source edition
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