Hidden dangers and precautions of high-speed driving at night
On the highway shrouded in night, the traffic is like a meteor speeding in the night, and the lights are flickering. It is undoubtedly a challenging adventure for less experienced motorists. Many hidden dangers such as limited vision, fatigue driving, and rampant traffic threaten driving safety all the time.
Poor visibility at night is the biggest safety hazard. There is almost no street lighting on the highways, except for service areas and tunnels. Drivers rely on headlights and other vehicle lights to barely illuminate the road ahead, with an extremely limited field of vision. In this case, if there is a sudden obstacle or unexpected situation ahead, the driver will not be able to react and brake in the future, and it is very easy to cause a serious accident.
Nighttime is the time when the body's physiology is at its lowest. Looking ahead, controlling the steering wheel for a long time, and the monotonous environment in the car can easily cause drowsiness, fatigue, and constant distraction. When this happens, judgment and reflexes are greatly impaired, and the risk of accidents increases dramatically.
The number of large vehicles such as large trucks and semi-trailers on the highway at night is also increasing. These vehicles are bulky and have long braking distances, and if the driver is negligent, they can cause a rear-end collision or other serious accidents at any time. What's even more terrifying is that once it collides with these "road giants", the small car will have no power to fight back, and the consequences are unimaginable.
Laws and regulations and safety guidelines for the use of high beams
In addition to the above hidden dangers, the improper use of high beams is also a major safety hazard for high-speed driving at night. Many drivers do not have a thorough understanding of the rules for the use of high beams, which often leads to disputes and disputes, and even leads to serious rear-end accidents.
Let's take a look at the clear regulations on the use of high beams. According to the Regulations for the Implementation of the Road Traffic Safety Law of the People's Republic of China, high beams can be used when driving on roads with no street lights or poor lighting. When within 150 meters of oncoming traffic, the driver must switch to low beams to avoid affecting the other party's line of sight. Similarly, when a vehicle driving in the same direction is driving in close proximity to the vehicle in front, the high beam cannot be used.
Violations of these regulations are subject to appropriate penalties. For example, if you use high beams on a section where the use of high beams is prohibited, you will be fined between 20 and 200 yuan. If the front car in the same lane uses high beams and shines on the driving mirror of the car in front and affects driving, you will also be punished accordingly.
The proper use of high beams is not only a legal requirement, but also a safety concern. The high beam illuminates a distance of 80-120 meters, which is much farther than the 30-50 meters of the low beam, which helps the driver to detect obstacles ahead in advance, so as to take timely measures to avoid accidents.
If the high beams are used when driving in close proximity to the vehicle in front, it will seriously affect the vision of the driver of the vehicle in front of them, and may even cause them to develop a dazzling sensation and lose control of the vehicle. In the event of a rear-end collision, the consequences are unimaginable.
How to protect yourself when you are harassed by high beams
In addition to the correct use of high beams, how to deal with being harassed by the high beams of other vehicles is also an important skill that every driver must master.
Being exposed to direct high beams is very dangerous, and it will not only make you temporarily blind, but it can also cause you to lose control of your vehicle. If you notice that the rear car has not turned off its high beams in time, you need to take immediate action to protect your sight.
The easiest and most effective way to do this is to adjust the angle of the mirrors. Tilt the mirrors slightly to one side to avoid direct high beams into your eyes. This is only a stopgap measure, after all, you still can't fully see the car behind you.
Another, more proactive approach is to turn on the double flashes or slow down briefly to remind the car behind to turn off the high beams. Most quality drivers will consciously turn off their high beams after being reminded. If the other person is still stubborn, you need to change lanes and distance yourself.
In the case of being harassed by the high beams, you must not retaliate with the high beams to return fire, because this can easily lead to a-for-tat confrontation that will eventually lead to a serious rear-end collision. Staying calm and driving civilly is the best policy.
In addition, if you find that a vehicle is driving with high beams for a long time, you can also call the traffic violation reporting number to report it. This not only affects the safety of other vehicles, but also violates relevant laws and regulations.