Driving at night is difficult because the area illuminated by your headlights is not all you need to see. Motorcycles are particularly difficult to see under these conditions — watch closely for them. If street lamps provide overhead lighting, you can see well ahead. If not, you must rely on your headlights. While driving at night, you should be able to see about 12 seconds travelling distance in front of you. This means that most of the time, you should be using your high beam headlights and be looking beyond the part of the road illuminated by your lights.

To reduce glare from other vehicles or lights to the rear, adjust your mirror or use a day-night mirror turned to "night." Dimming the dash lights will also improve your ability to see the road.