How should you adjust your speed when driving at night?

Adjusting your speed when driving at night is crucial due to limited visibility and decreased reaction time. At night, your ability to see obstacles, pedestrians, and road signs is greatly reduced compared to daylight conditions. Reducing your speed allows for a safer reaction to unexpected situations, as it provides you with more time to assess the road and respond appropriately.

Driving at a slower speed also enhances your ability to see further down the road with the limited illumination from your headlights. This is particularly important when navigating curves, intersections, or areas that might be obscured by darkness. Additionally, reducing speed helps account for the fact that others on the road may also be more difficult to see, such as cyclists or animals, making it vital to give yourself extra time and distance to react.

Maintaining the same speed as during the day or increasing speed can lead to dangerous situations, as you may not have the same visibility that you would during daylight hours. Similarly, driving with high beams at all times can actually decrease your visibility for oncoming traffic and create dangerous glare for other drivers, undermining overall safety on the road.