If an oncoming vehicle has its high beams on and the glare is blinding you, you should:
Avert your gaze from the headlights. Do not stare into the bright lights. Instead, look toward the right edge of your lane – use the painted fog line or curb as a guide. This helps you stay on course while avoiding direct exposure to the glare.
Slow down a little. Because your visibility is reduced, easing off the accelerator will give you more time to react to any road hazards that you might not see clearly due to the blinding light.
Keep your windshield clean. (This is preventative, but worth noting.) A dirty or streaky windshield can worsen the glare. If your windshield is clean, the effect of the high beams won’t be as bad.
Do not retaliate by putting your own high beams on. That will just create two blinded drivers. You can flash your high beams quickly (a brief flick) to remind the oncoming driver to dim their lights – often that’s the universal signal for “your high beams are on, please dim them.” But if they don’t respond or you’re uncomfortable doing that, just focus on driving safely.
Stay in your lane. Keep steering straight using the right side of the road as a reference. Avoid the tendency to fixate on the light (which can unconsciously cause you to steer toward it – a phenomenon called target fixation). By looking at the right edge, you avoid that.
Once the vehicle passes, blink a few times to help your eyes recover and refocus on the road ahead. Your night vision should return in a couple of seconds after the bright light is gone.
Being blinded by high beams is certainly annoying and can be dangerous, but these techniques will get you through it. It’s also a good reminder for you as a driver: always dim your own high beams when there’s oncoming traffic or when you’re behind someone. Courtesy and safety go hand in hand here.
