Driving without a full 12 seconds of view ahead means you are over-driving your headlights. This means by the time your headlights illuminate an object on the road you'll be unable to stop before hitting it. This makes it critical to use all the other information available.

Pay attention to other vehicles on the road, which can give you clues.

If you can see the rear lights of the vehicle in front, you can be sure that no large object is between the two of you.

The most important action that you can take at night is to slow immediately when you detect something on the road ahead. Don't wait until you can see the object clearly - by that time, it will probably be too late to stop. As soon as you see something on the road, use your brakes so that you are slowing down while identifying what it is. You'll then have more time to stop or change your direction if the need arises.