New York driving lesson · Special Driving Conditions
Night driving & headlights
A 3-minute lesson from the New York course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
About 90 percent of your driving decisions are based on what you see, and at night you see less, less far. Night vision also gets worse with age. Drive slower than in daylight, especially on unfamiliar or narrow, curvy roads, and use your lights correctly.
350 feet
About how far ahead your headlights light the road; be able to stop within it
Also turn headlights on at dawn, dusk and in fog; they help others see you. Parking lights and daytime running lights are not a substitute. If an oncoming driver flashes headlights at you in low visibility, turn your headlights on.
If an oncoming driver doesn't dim, flash to high beam for a second, then back to low. To avoid their glare, move your eyes to the right and use the road edge as a guide until they pass.
Keep the interior roof light off, dim the dashboard lights and adjust your visors. A dirty windshield increases glare, so keep your lights and glass clean.
You're on a dark two-lane road with high beams on when headlights appear over a hill ahead. Switch to low beams once the car is within 500 feet. Later you catch up to another car: you must be on low beams within 200 feet of it.
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.
About how far ahead do your headlights typically illuminate the road?
About 100 feet
About 700 feet
About 350 feet
About 1,000 feet
Answer: About 350 feet
Your headlights cover about 350 feet ahead; you should drive at a speed that lets you stop within that distance.