Night driving tips — Maine Permit Test

Maine's manual says not to wear sunglasses or colored lenses at night or on cloudy days.

Tinted glass cuts the little light a driver has after dark, so a person in dark clothes stays hidden longer.

Do not wear sunglasses or colored lenses at night or on cloudy days.

At night, Maine's manual says to increase your following distance by at least one second.

In the dark you see a stopped car later, so you need more road in front of you to brake.

Increase your following distance by at least a second at night.

On unfamiliar roads at night, Maine's manual says to add at least two seconds to your following distance.

On a road you do not know, a sharp curve or a turning car comes up in the dark with no warning.

Add at least two seconds for night driving on unfamiliar roads.

At night, search well ahead of your headlight beams, looking for dark shapes in or near the road.

If you look only where your lights reach, a deer or a walker in dark clothes shows up too late to miss.

Search well ahead of your headlight beams.

Because darkness limits how far you can see, Maine's manual says it is good practice to drive slower at night.

The fatal crash rate at night is nearly three times the daytime rate, and less light means less time to react.

It's good practice to drive slower at night because overall visibility is much more restricted due to the darkness.

When does the manual say not to wear sunglasses or colored lenses while driving?

At night and on cloudy days. Tinted glass cuts the little light a driver has after dark, so a person in dark clothes stays hidden longer. Maine Driver’s License Manual, p.112: “Do not wear sunglasses or colored lenses at night or on cloudy days.”