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Night driving and bad weather

The check asks when to turn on lights, how to use high and low beams, and how to drive in rain, fog, snow, tunnels and on hills. The common theme is: slow down and leave more space.

Key rules

• At night you must turn on headlights, side lights and tail lights.
• You must also turn them on in the day in tunnels or dense fog when you cannot see 50 m ahead (200 m on expressways).
• Use high beams, except in busy urban areas. Dip or dim them when passing an oncoming car or when right behind another car.
• Park at night with hazard lights, parking lights or tail lights on, unless the car can be seen from 50 m behind.
• In rain, drive slower and keep more distance. Avoid sudden starts, steering and braking.
• Roads are slippery at the start of rain. Avoid deep puddles because the brakes can get wet.
• On snow or ice, use chains or winter tyres. Where a sign requires chains, you may not pass without them.
• In fog, turn on fog lights or headlights early, slow down and use the horn if needed.
• On downhill slopes use engine braking, and do not overtake on steep slopes or near the top of a hill.

Numbers to remember

Common traps

• Lights are not only for night: tunnels and dense fog count too.
• "Always use low beams at night" is wrong; high beams are the basic setting, except in busy towns, with oncoming cars or when close behind a car.
• The numbers differ: 50 m on general roads and 200 m on expressways.
• On downhill slopes, relying on the foot brake alone is wrong; use engine braking.

In Japan, when two cars meet on a narrow hill road, the downhill car gives way. Lights are also required by day when you cannot see 50 m ahead, for example in tunnels or dense fog.

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