Rules of the road
Lesson 9 · Night, weather and emergencies

When do you have to dim your high beams?

Short answer

Within 500 feet of an oncoming vehicle, and within 200 to 300 feet of a vehicle you are following, depending on your state.

Watch it play out

How to do it

  1. Use high beams on dark roads with no other traffic nearby.
  2. Switch to low beams within 500 feet of oncoming traffic.
  3. Use low beams when you follow another car: within 300 feet in many states, 200 feet in some.
  4. If oncoming high beams blind you, look toward the right edge of your lane.

Why the rule works this way

Bright lights can blind another driver for several seconds, which is long enough to drift out of the lane.

Common mistakes

  • Forgetting to dim when following another car.
  • Flashing high beams back at a driver who forgot to dim.
State differencesMost states use 500 feet for oncoming traffic. Minnesota uses 1,000 feet. For following, many use 300 feet (like California), and some use 200 feet (like New York, Virginia and Minnesota).
In VirginiaDim within 500 feet of an oncoming vehicle and within 200 feet of a vehicle you are following. See all Virginia rules

Questions people ask

Should I use high beams in fog?

No. High beams reflect off fog and make it harder to see. Use low beams.