When should you dim your high beams?

Dimming your high beams when approaching other vehicles or when following another vehicle closely is essential for several reasons. High beams are designed to illuminate the road far ahead, but they can create significant glare for drivers in oncoming vehicles and even those in front of you. This glare can impair their vision and increase the risk of accidents. Therefore, to maintain safety on the road and ensure that other drivers are not blinded by your lights, it is necessary to switch to low beams in these situations.

While driving in fog can also be a reason to switch to low beams, your answer focuses specifically on situations involving other vehicles, which is a critical consideration. In foggy conditions, it is advisable to use fog lights or low beams instead of high beams, as high beams can reflect off the fog and create more visibility issues. However, the primary focus for dimming high beams is when interacting directly with other drivers. In areas without streetlights or when there are no other cars around, using high beams is generally acceptable, as there is less risk of blinding other drivers.