Final answer:
To avoid being blinded by an approaching car's lights, do not look directly at them, use the edge of your lane as a guide, dim your interior lights, and allow your eyes time to readjust to darkness when necessary. Eyes take about 15 minutes to fully adapt to the dark. Good vehicle maintenance ensures your headlights and battery function effectively to provide optimal visibility.
Step-by-step explanation:
To avoid being blinded if an approaching car fails to dim their lights, there are some safety measures you can take. First, do not look directly at the bright lights. Instead, focus on the right edge of your lane or the painted edge line on the road to steer effectively while avoiding direct eye contact with the lights. It's also useful to have your car's interior lights dimmed to reduce the contrast between the darkness outside and the lights within your vehicle which can help maintain your night vision. Additionally, practicing good flash glare avoidance tactics, such as changing your angle of view, can be helpful. If you become temporarily blinded by the lights, it's important to safely reduce speed and, if necessary, pull over to the side of the road until your vision recovers. Allowing your eyes to adapt to darkness after being exposed to brightness is crucial. This adaptation may take approximately 15 minutes, similar to how your eyes adjust when walking into a dark movie theater from a well-lit area. Understanding how lights work in your car is also beneficial. For instance, if your car lights seem to dim on their own, it may indicate that the car's battery voltage is decreasing, which can be due to prolonged use without the engine running or other electrical loads putting a strain on the system. To retrieve the best visibility during nighttime driving, make sure that your car's headlights and battery are maintained and functioning correctly.