While driving at 50 mph on an unlit rural road at night, an oncoming vehicle cresting a hill fails to dim its high-beam headlights, causing intense glare. To safely manage vision and vehicle control during this encounter, which combination of actions should the driver take?
- Look toward the right edge of the lane using the fog line as a guide, ease off the accelerator to reduce speed, and avoid looking directly into the oncoming headlights.Answer
- BFocus vision directly on the yellow center line to ensure the vehicle does not drift into the oncoming lane, while flashing high beams continuously until the oncoming driver dims their lights.
- CMaintain the posted speed limit to clear the glare zone as quickly as possible while closing one eye briefly to preserve night vision.
- DActivate high beams to equalize the light intensity between vehicles while steering slightly toward the shoulder.
Answer
The driver should look toward the right edge of the lane (using the white fog line as a visual anchor), ease off the gas to slow down, and refrain from staring directly into the approaching high beams.
The correct response combines proper visual target selection (gaze shifted to the right edge/fog line) with proactive speed reduction. Looking to the right edge avoids direct exposure to high-beam glare while retaining spatial orientation, and slowing down accounts for the temporary reduction in sight distance and pupil adaptation delay.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Headlight Glare Management and Sight Distance Adjustment
Estimated Time:1m 15s