Final answer:
It is true that you should keep your speed slow enough so that you can stop within the distance of your headlights. This allows for sufficient reaction time to unforeseen obstacles and is a critical safety practice when driving at night or in conditions with limited visibility.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that you should keep your speed slow enough so that you can stop within the distance of your headlights is true. When driving at night, it's critical to ensure that your stopping distance is within the range illuminated by your headlights. This is necessary for safe driving practices because it allows you time to react to unforeseen obstacles or conditions on the road.
Several factors affect the distance required to stop a vehicle, such as the speed at which the vehicle is traveling, the coefficient of friction between the road and the tires, the vehicle's mass, and the driver's reaction time. A higher speed substantially increases the necessary stopping distance, not linearly but exponentially. For example, if a car is going twice as fast, the distance required to stop it is much more than twice as far, taking into account not only the braking distance but also the reaction time, which might be around 0.500 seconds.
To comply with safety regulations and avoid accidents, especially in conditions where visibility is limited by the range of the headlights, drivers must maintain speeds that allow them to safely stop within that range.