Night Driving and Adverse Weather Conditions
This domain tests visibility management and speed choices when conditions reduce traction or sight distance. The exam expects you to adjust following distance, lighting, and braking before conditions become critical.
Night driving
Use headlights from sunset to sunrise and whenever visibility is low. Keep the windshield, mirrors, and lights clean. Do not overdrive your headlights: you must be able to stop within the lighted distance. Use low beams in fog, rain, or snow, and dim for oncoming traffic. Watch for pedestrians, cyclists, and stopped buses at the edge of the light. Fatigue is a hazard; stop for rest rather than pushing through.
Rain, snow, ice, and fog
Reduce speed and increase following distance well beyond the dry-road minimum. Avoid cruise control on wet or icy pavement. Make steering, acceleration, and braking inputs gently. If you hydroplane, ease off the accelerator and avoid hard braking. Use wipers and defroster to keep the windshield clear. In fog, use low beams and slow down; high beams reflect back and reduce visibility.
Worked example
Heavy rain at night reduces visibility and traction. A 40-foot bus that would follow 5 seconds at 45 mph should drop speed and open a larger gap, perhaps 7 or more seconds. Turn off cruise control, use low beams, and brake earlier for stops.
Traps
Using high beams in fog; driving faster than the lighted distance; using cruise control on slick pavement; and assuming the bus’s weight improves stopping on ice.