Night driving — Kansas Permit Test

A Kansas driver should use high beams whenever there are no oncoming vehicles, because high beams let a driver see twice as far as low beams.

Twice the distance is twice the time to react. There is no reason not to use them on an empty road.

High beams let you see twice as far as low beams

A Kansas driver dims their high beams whenever they come within about a one-block distance of an oncoming vehicle.

A block is enough warning for them. Leaving it later has already dazzled them.

Dim your high beams whenever you come within about a one-block distance of an oncoming vehicle.

If a Kansas vehicle comes toward a driver with high beams on, the driver flashes their headlights once quickly, and if the other driver fails to dim, looks toward the right side of the road to keep from being blinded.

Looking right keeps you on the road while the glare passes. Staring into it takes your night vision for seconds.

If the driver fails to dim their lights, look toward the right side of the road to keep from being blinded by their headlights.

A Kansas driver should not try to get back at another driver by keeping their bright lights on, because both drivers may be blinded and cause a crash.

Dazzling them back leaves two blind drivers closing on each other. Nobody wins that.

Do not try to “get back” at the other driver by keeping your bright lights on. If you do, both of you may be blinded, possibly causing a crash.

A Kansas driver uses low beams when following another vehicle, in heavy traffic, in fog, or when it is snowing or raining hard.

High beams in the mirror of the car ahead blind that driver too. Fog and rain bounce them straight back.

Use your low beams when following another vehicle, in heavy traffic, in fog, or when it is snowing or raining hard.

A Kansas driver should not wear sunglasses or colored glasses when driving at night or on dark days, because colored lenses cause the eyes to adjust even more slowly and can reduce vision.

Tinted lenses take away light you need and slow the eye's recovery from glare. Both are the wrong way round at night.

Do not wear sunglasses or colored glasses when driving at night or on dark days. Colored lenses cause your eyes to adjust even more slowly and can reduce your vision.

A Kansas driver should develop the ability to glance well ahead of their headlight beams, looking for dark shapes on the roadway.

Your lights reach a certain distance and no further. Looking past them is how you catch what is waiting there.

Develop the ability to glance well ahead of your headlight beams, looking for dark shapes on the roadway.

How much further do Kansas high beams let a driver see?

Twice as far as low beams. Twice the distance is twice the time to react. There is no reason not to use them on an empty road. Kansas Driving Handbook, p.90: “High beams let you see twice as far as low beams”