Conditions of limited and insufficient visibility on the road. Driving at night

Conditions of limited and insufficient visibility on the road. Driving at night

Driving at night is very different from driving during the day. Nature is arranged in such a way that a person sees worse at night than during the day, and with age, the quality of night vision deteriorates. But most of the decisions that the driver makes are based on what he sees. When driving in the dark, the driver can see and evaluate the situation only in the area limited by the headlights. Moreover, objects appear in the illuminated area suddenly, and it takes more time to identify them than during the day.

Therefore, the reliability of movement in dark time days is significantly reduced and, as a result, more errors are made. The most common of these are distance and speed estimation errors, as at night the driver has less time to estimate, less room to maneuver, and less time and opportunity to correct these errors. And the response time to night road increases.

Main condition safe ride in the dark- movement at a lower speed than during the day. The speed must be chosen so that, if necessary, you can stop the car within sight. Those. stopping way should not exceed the distance illuminated by headlights. Car windows must be clean. Firstly, it is always more pleasant to look at the road through clean glass, and secondly, dirty glass plus the light of oncoming headlights further worsen the already.

When driving in traffic, always keep an eye on the traffic ahead. It is very important not to miss the moment of the beginning of its braking. This will be prompted by his brake lights, which, however, may be faulty or partially serviceable. IN similar cases you will need to double your vigilance and increase your distance.

Always remember that there may be unlit objects on the road and near it. If you spot something ahead, always slow down. What it is - you will figure it out later when you drive closer or stop. Perhaps it is a standing unlit car, perhaps something else.

Pedestrians are the greatest danger when driving at night. They do not always fall into the field of view of the driver, they are more difficult to detect on an unlit section of the road. A separate risk group is drunken pedestrians. Their actions are unpredictable, therefore, near “such” pedestrians, one should reduce the speed as much as possible and anticipate the possibility of a detour in advance, or be ready to apply emergency braking.

Stop zones public transport you have to be especially careful. When there are a lot of cars, and then partial blinding occurs with the light of the position lights, plus the light of oncoming headlights. It is not always possible to immediately notice a pedestrian who is on the roadway, therefore, when passing stops, always slow down. When a shuttle vehicle is standing at a stop, pay attention to the light spot in front of it. If a shadow suddenly flashed on it, it is possible that because of this transport a pedestrian will now appear on the road, or maybe not one.

Therefore, once again - slow down in advance - you will have more time to react and you need to make it clear to those following you what is ahead possible danger. When they see your brake lights, they will understand that you are slowing down and slow down themselves. Then even the emergency braking of your car will not be a surprise to them.

Movement in the dark. Oncoming traffic

When driving on an unlit road, it is preferable to use high beam headlights But you should always remember that there is a possibility of blinding oncoming drivers. You can also be blinded, so you need to develop the habit of looking to the right at the road at the time of the departure, and not at the oncoming headlights. First, to the right of the road, most often, there may be obstacles that you may not see, being blinded. Secondly, you can navigate by the markings, the bump stop, the right edge of the carriageway, the roadside.

Switch headlights from high beam you need to go to the nearest one in advance - at least 150m before the oncoming car. But if the oncoming driver signals with a short-term switching “near-far-near”, then this must be done earlier. When the oncoming vehicle is level with yours, you can switch to high beam again.

It happens that an oncoming driver does not switch to low beam, but continues to drive with high beam, blinding you. In this case, you can remind him to switch by blinking briefly from low beam to high beam several times. But in no case should he, so to speak, be “taught” by reciprocal blindness. An oncoming car may have a headlight adjustment problem - it is driving with a low beam and its driver does not understand why you are blinking at him, maybe his driver just forgot to switch the light, or maybe he only has a high beam at that moment. And what could be worse than two blinded drivers who are driving towards each other and do not see anything?

If you are still blinded, and you can hardly distinguish what is happening on the road - smoothly turn off the speed, immediately turn on the emergency lights and, without changing lanes, stop the car. After the sight is restored, it will be possible to go further.

It is very dangerous to be suddenly blinded by an oncoming car leaving because of the transverse profile of the road break (at the top of the hill). Approaching such a site and seeing the glow of oncoming headlights, be prepared for the fact that the oncoming car may not have time to switch the headlights to low beam - blink your headlights in advance so that he does not forget to do this. When an oncoming vehicle appears on the descent, it is also necessary to switch to the dipped beam earlier.

There are situations when the driver sees that a vehicle is moving towards it with one headlight on. It could be a motorcycle or it could be a car. If it is not possible to consider, then you should always assume that this is a car and its only working headlight is the right one! In this case, for the siding, take as far to the right as possible, and if this is not possible, stop and turn on the hazard warning lights. This is necessary so that those driving behind you can better see your car on the road and react in time.

When two cars, moving at night, meet on a turning arc, it turns out that one driver drives on the outer arc, and the other on the inner one. Thus, the headlights of a car driving “inside” the turn begin to blind the oncoming car earlier. Therefore, he needs to switch to low beam a little earlier. The driver of a car that is driving on the outer arc of a turn may switch to low beam a little later if he sees that his headlights do not interfere with oncoming traffic.

Night traffic outside the city

The most important thing when driving on night country roads is. Many factors need to be taken into account: the type and condition of the road surface, weather conditions, traffic intensity, and of course, how familiar you are with the road you are driving on. On an unlit road outside a built-up area, keep in mind that in most cases obstacles are located on the edge of the road. There may be a pit, there may be a standing unlit car, or there may be anything. Therefore, do not snuggle close to the edge of the roadway.

When you are following the vehicle in front (leadership), switch your headlights from high beam to low beam and pay close attention to safe distance. In this case, the leader takes control of all kinds of obstacles and dangers on the road. Your task is to carefully monitor its side lights and warning lights. And again, distance. In the dark, all objects appear further than they really are.

If you are in the lead role, then, if the situation allows, turn on the high beam headlights so that you can see obstacles on the road earlier. If you have to drive with low beams (for example, you often have to pass with oncoming people whom you can blind) and the road is hard to see, then slow down. But in this case, they can catch up with you and, as they say, “sit on the bumper”. And seeing the headlights reflected in your rearview mirror is very unpleasant. In this case, do not look in the mirror, but let yourself be overtaken. How in this case to behave to the drivers of the overtaken and overtaking cars has already been said in the article. Be sure to read.

If you intend to stop on an unlit road, it is not safe to do so even on the side of the road. Choose a place for such a stop where you can either pull off the road or pull away from the roadway as far as possible. If this is not possible, try to pull over to the side of the road and turn on your hazard warning lights to be more visible on the road.

During a long night trip while driving on a good level country road, a so-called state of monotony can occur. Why is it dangerous?

Smooth and calm movement slowly lulls vigilance and the level of attention to the environment decreases. Sometimes the driver imperceptibly "disconnects" from reality. In other words, he falls asleep right with his eyes open. This is very dangerous, because at this moment the driver is not able to monitor the traffic situation. Fatigue affects, especially since biologically nighttime is reserved for sleep. Therefore, at the slightest sign of fatigue, stop immediately, get out of the car and warm up.

There is one way for a driver to determine whether he is tired or not. In a normal situation, the driver looks directly at the road, steers, slows down, accelerates, in general, rides. And everything seems to be fine. But fatigue accumulates gradually, and it is difficult to determine the moment when the body is tired. Experienced drivers, especially truckers, know for themselves what fatigue is, but for those who have been driving recently, this advice may come in handy.

Now attention: first look at the road in front of the car, then turn your head and look at the road through the left window. If the road "floated" before your eyes, then you are tired and it's time to stop for a rest. Try to get out of the car, but not abruptly. Shaking? The brain seems to be aware of everything, but the body does not seem to obey. In this case, all the more you need to stop and rest - you are very tired. Further movement may not be safe. But it’s better not to bring yourself to such a state and make stops for rest as often as possible, especially if the trip is at night.


Navigating a series of articles

In the last - the seventh - block of concepts, we will consider the visibility conditions in which the driver has to move on the vehicle.

Driving in fog, rain or snow, on the one hand, night riding, on the other side, sharp turns with practically “zero” visibility, on the third hand, all these are visibility conditions that have specific names. Let's talk about them.

NIGHT TIME

It would seem, well, what is easier ... We will not argue with this assessment and quote the traffic rules.

"Dark time of the day" - the period of time from the end of evening twilight to the beginning of morning twilight.

Agree, it smacks of the style of the general military regulations of the armed forces of the Russian Federation. And if it is simpler, then the dark time of the day is a period of time when it is impossible to move without special additional road lighting.

The driver must remember that in the conditions of the dark time of the day there are special rules for driving. So, for example, the movement of a vehicle must be carried out exclusively with the use of dipped or main beam headlights. (We will talk in more detail about the use of external lighting devices when analyzing the corresponding section of the SDA).

The antipode of the dark time of the day is daylight hours days, that is, the period of time during which natural (solar) lighting operates.

LOW VISIBILITY

"Insufficient visibility" means visibility of the road less than 300 m in conditions of fog, rain, snowfall and the like, as well as at dusk.

Bad weather and twilight very significantly reduce the visibility distance, making it impossible to distinguish even the outlines of objects that are at some distance.

Agree, this state of affairs is an extremely dangerous phenomenon when driving a vehicle. That is why the Rules introduce the concept insufficient visibility, outlining its boundaries - the visibility of the road is less than 300 meters in bad weather or twilight.

And one moment. The term "inadequate" means that there is visibility of the road, but there is not enough natural light at the moment. And, therefore, in conditions of insufficient visibility (as well as at night), the driver is obliged to use external lighting fixtures(high or low beam headlights).

This will compensate for the lack of natural light.

Our similar, at first glance, tautology around insufficiency will be fully justified in the analysis of the following concept.

LIMITED VISIBILITY

"Limited visibility" - the driver's visibility of the road in the direction of travel, limited by the terrain, geometric parameters roads, vegetation, buildings, structures or other objects, including vehicles.

Limited visibility prevents the driver from seeing the road at a safe distance.

Unfortunately, the SDA does not indicate a specific numerical characteristic (footage) of limited visibility. But the methodology for applying the Rules allows us to conclude that it is less than 100 meters.

The driver must remember that in conditions of limited visibility it is strictly forbidden for him to carry out:

  1. U-turn;
  2. Reversing;
  3. Overtaking;
  4. Stop and parking on the roadway.

We will talk about this and many other things (regarding the conditions of limited visibility) in the relevant sections of the SDA.

Another significant point. Agree, it is very easy to confuse two similar-sounding concepts - “insufficient visibility” and “ limited visibility". Especially often this error manifests itself when solving problems on traffic rules and passing the final qualifying exam.

This is where the previously used technique can help. Lack of visibility is the product of a lack of light (insufficient light), and reduced visibility is the result of some physical restriction on the view.

Let's summarize. Visibility conditions play a significant role in ensuring traffic safety. The worse the visibility, the more careful the driver must be. The choice of manner of movement (especially speed) is directly dependent on visibility conditions.

If this information was useful to you, please write about it in the comments. If you have any questions, write, we will definitely try to help you.

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Discussion: 3 comments

    Hello.

    Help is needed.

    The situation is this:

    The road has four lanes, two in one direction and, accordingly, two in the other (opposite), between them there is a dividing lawn, which has a technological gap. It's in the heart of the city. Sign 6.3.1 “Place for U-turn. Left turns are prohibited. I am driving in the left lane in one of the directions. Another participant in the movement moves in the opposite direction, enters a technological gap in order to perform a U-turn maneuver. So here's the question: he, referring to limited visibility, drives the front of his car onto left lane oncoming traffic, that is, along which I am moving ... which traffic rules He violated the Russian Federation??? I ask you to explain. As a result, there was a serious accident as he drove very close in front of me. Now, of course, he is trying to deny his guilt and his only argument is that I was driving with a huge speed limit and could not stop in front of him. My speed was 60 km/h. Braking distances was 17.2 meters. I will be grateful for help.

A modern car is festooned with external lights like a Christmas tree with toys. And all this must be skillfully used. Those who think that it is up to the driver to turn on certain lights or not turn them on are mistaken. The nineteenth section of the Rules strictly regulates when and what needs to be included. To deal with all this, let's simulate a real trip.

So, we start moving during the day in clear weather.

Rules. Section 19. Clause 19.5. During daylight hours, on all moving vehicles, in order to identify them, they should includelow beam headlights or daytime running lights.

The rules divide the day into the following parts:

- Daylight hours.

- Evening twilight.

- Night time.

— Morning twilight.

Movement during daylight hours with a transparent atmosphere is the most comfortable and safe. However, even during daylight hours, for various reasons, drivers may not see each other, and an accident occurs, as they say, “in broad daylight”.

In order to ensure b O For greater safety, the Rules oblige all drivers to mark their vehicle while driving ( not only at night, but also during the day!). At the same time, during the day, that is, during daylight hours, to designate their vehicle, drivers are required to turn on either dipped beam headlights or daytime running lights (if any).

Daytime running lights are a novelty that has recently become increasingly popular, because they have noticeable advantages:

- Better recognizable.

– Automatically turn on when the engine is started and turn off when the engine is turned off.

- Differ in economy, high reliability and durability.

– Extend service life conventional system lighting.

The rules singled out daytime running lights as a separate term and gave them the following definition:

Rules. Section 1. “Daytime running lights” are external lighting devices designed to improve the visibility of a moving vehicle frontduring daylight hours.

Please note - daytime running lights indicate the vehicle only in front!

And during daylight hours, this is absolutely correct.

During the day, the vehicle ahead is clearly visible to you (without any additional lighting). And at the same time, you can easily, without particularly straining, continuously monitor events from behind, thanks to the fact that the car driving behind has daytime running lights on.

Or due to the fact that the headlights of the dipped beam are on at the rear.

Or due to the fact that the rider behind included fog lights.

Students. Excuse me, where are the fog lights? In paragraph 19.5 there are no fog lights! Paragraph 19.5 refers only to dipped-beam headlamps and daytime running lights.

Teacher. Yes, you are absolutly right. Paragraph 19.5 does not really say anything about fog lights. But they are mentioned in paragraph 19.4.

instead of low beam headlights in accordance with clause 19.5 of the Rules.

Let's summarize:

During daylight hours, on all moving vehicles, for the purpose of their identification, the following must be included:

– or low beam headlights;

– or daytime running lights;

or fog lights.

Have you forgotten yet? We move during the day in clear weather. But there's a tunnel ahead!

In tunnels on a moving vehicle low or high beam headlights must be on.

It doesn’t matter at all whether the tunnel is short or long, whether there is artificial lighting there or not.

In all cases, when moving in a tunnel, drivers must turn on exactlylights near or far light.

And rightly so - in any tunnel, lighting is always not enough. And then artificial lighting is not the sun and can go out at any moment. And then daytime running lights or fog lights will not help you much. Here you will need headlights (dipped beam or high beam).

There is such a problem in Tickets, and here you are often mistaken:

In a tunnel with artificial lighting, the following must be included:

1. Low beam headlights or parking lights.

2. Low beam headlights or daytime running lights.

3. Low or high beam headlights.

Task comment

Some of you are beginning to doubt - is it possible to turn on the main beam in the tunnel? I'll blind everyone!

Of course, if the traffic is dense (at least in the tunnel, at least not in the tunnel), drivers are required to switch to dipped beam.

But if there is no one to blind (at least in the tunnel, at least not in the tunnel), who will forbid you to turn on the high beam headlights. The rules meant exactly that.

We left the tunnel, you can continue driving on the dipped headlights,

you can switch to fog lights, you can switch to daytime running lights.

But suddenly the sky was covered with black clouds, everything around darkened, and it began to rain.

Or, let's put it this way - there are no clouds, it's just evening, twilight, not yet night, but visibility has become insufficient .

Rules. Section 19. Clause 19.1. In conditions of insufficient visibility, regardless of the illumination of the road, a moving vehicle must turn on low or high beam headlights .

That is, the Rules do not make any difference between traffic in a tunnel and traffic in conditions of insufficient visibility. And, in general, it’s right - in both cases, the illumination is insufficient, and the requirement “dipped beam or high beam headlights must be turned on” is quite justified.

But, on the other hand, the conditions of insufficient visibility are not only a decrease in illumination, as, for example, at dusk. The conditions of insufficient visibility are also a temporary deterioration in the transparency of the atmosphere, as, for example, in fog - it is light, but nothing is visible! So, maybe it's time to turn on the fog lights and rear fog lights? Let's see what the Rules say about this:

Rules. Section 19. Clause 19.4. Fog lights can be used in conditions of insufficient visibility with low or high beam headlights .

Rules. Section 19. Clause 19.7. Rear fog lights can be applied only in low visibility conditions.

That is, in conditions of insufficient visibility, first of all, it is necessary to turn on the dipped or main beam headlights! If desired, fog lights can be added to them, and if necessary, you can also turn on the rear fog lights.

Here we have to make a small digression. Experience in a driving school tells me that not all students have a clear idea of ​​which lights are located in front, which ones are in the back, how they work and, in general, how a headlight differs from a lantern.

The main purpose of headlights is to illuminate the road. And they are, of course, located in front and they white color. True, fog lights can also shine with yellow light (it is believed that yellow light clears fog better.

The main purpose of the lights is to designate the vehicle itself. And they are located at the back and are all red. The only exception is headlights. reversing and license plate lighting - they are white.

In addition, the car (motorcycle) also has side lights. The front marker lights are white, the rear marker lights are red.

It is extremely important for the driver to know exactly how the work of headlights and lanterns is coordinated. In particular, it must be understood that it is possible to turn on the parking lights without turning on the headlights. But it is impossible to turn on the headlights without turning on the parking lights!

That is, when we say that the driver turned on the side lights, this means that two white lights are on in front, and two red lights are on in the back (but the headlights are not on).

If we say that the driver turned on the headlights (no matter which ones), this means that the headlights are on in front, and two red marker lights are on the back.

But back to "our sheep". So, in conditions of insufficient visibility, the driver must turn on the dipped or main beam headlights (and since the headlights are on, it means that red side lights will definitely be on the back).

But in heavy fog (snowfall, rain), the main beam of the headlights does not reach the roadbed!

This is where it's time to go to the middle and connect foglights. A flat and wide beam of fog lamps beats under a veil of fog, highlighting not only carriageway, but also the curb.

See how well the logo of the “autoschoolhouse” has become visible.

Just do not try to move on some foglights. Fog lights illuminate the road 5-10 meters from the car. Driving in conditions of insufficient visibility on foglights alone is dangerous and therefore prohibited by the Rules.

But there is another problem.

In conditions of insufficient visibility, the rear position lights already at a distance of 10 meters turn into inconspicuous dots, or even become invisible.

In this case, the rear fog lights will help out the driver. They burn incomparably brighter than side lights.

That is why the Rules allow the use of rear fog lightsonly in low visibility conditions!

If you turn them on in a transparent atmosphere, you will blind the drivers behind you.

There is one problem in the Tickets about the rear fog lights. It is frankly provocative, and you often make a mistake here:

Twilight faded into night. The dark time has come.

But the fog cleared. The atmosphere is absolutely transparent.

Rules. Section 19. Clause 19.1. In the dark time of the day on a moving vehicle, the dipped or main beam headlights must be turned on.

I emphasize! – if the Rules say: "In the dark time of the day" and they don’t add anything, which means that it’s a dark impenetrable night in the yard, but that’s all. No fog, rain, snowfall, etc.

Since we already moved with the onset of twilight with the dipped beam headlights on, then with the onset of the dark time of the day we don’t need to do anything. True, two points remained unclear. First, are fog lights allowed at night? And, secondly, in what cases can high beam headlights be used?

Rules. Section 19. Clause 19.4. Fog lights can be used at night on unlit sections of roads together with low beam or high beam.

As you can see, driving at night on foglights alone is strictly prohibited by the Rules (as well as in conditions of insufficient visibility). But you can add fog lights to the dipped or high beam headlights if the road is not lit.

Now about when you can use high beam and when not.

We already know that both low and high beams can be used, firstly, when driving in a tunnel, secondly, when driving during the day in conditions of insufficient visibility, and, thirdly, when driving at night, no matter what kind of visibility (sufficient or insufficient). It remains only to understand when you can use the low beam, and when the high beam.

Rules. Section 19. Clause 19.2. High beam headlights must be switched to low beam:

- in settlements, if the road is lit;

- at an oncoming pass at a distance of at least 150 meters from the vehicle, as well as at a greater distance, if the driver of the oncoming vehicle periodic switching headlights will show the need for this;

- in any other cases, to exclude the possibility of blinding drivers of both oncoming and passing vehicles.

Let's deal with each of these requirements separately.

1. High beam headlights must be switched to low- in settlements, if the road is lit.

Let us leave this requirement of the Rules without comment. Everything seems to be clear here anyway - we drive along city streets at night with low beams (unless, of course, they are lit).

But if we climb into a place where we can’t see a single light, then even in the city it is allowed to turn on the distant one.

2. at an oncoming siding at a distance of not less than 150 meters to the vehicle as well as with more if the driver of an oncoming vehicle indicates the need for this by periodically switching the headlights.

The main beam (if it is correctly adjusted) reaches the roadbed at a distance of 90 - 100 meters from the car. Rules have generously set a minimum distance between converging vehicles - 150 meters. By this time, the drivers of both vehicles are required to switch the high beam headlights to low beam, so as not to blind each other.

But it may happen that the headlights of one of the cars are not adjusted, and the main beam hits, as they say, “into the sky”. In this case, oncoming drivers from afar will ask (flashing their headlights) to switch to low beam. And the rules oblige the driver to do this , even if the distance between approaching vehicles is more than 150 meters.

3. High beam headlights must be switched to low beam -in any other cases to exclude the possibility of dazzling drivers, as oncoming as well as passing vehicles .

High beams can create problems not only for those who are driving towards, but also for those who are moving ahead in passing direction. The Rules do not set any minimum distance for this situation, but a competent driver will always switch the headlights to low beam when approaching vehicle riding ahead.

And by the way! How should a driver behave when dazzled by headlights?

We have already discussed this situation in the seventh topic. Let's repeat it again. Night time.

The road outside the settlement without artificial lighting. A car is driving towards you with the headlights on. Just imagine - you do not see the roadbed, you do not see the markings, you do not see the roadside. It's deadly!

The most correct now is to portray a forced stop. That is the sign emergency stop no need to set, just turn on the emergency light and stop smoothly without changing lanes. I assure you, this is the most correct and safe solution. Moreover, the Rules require the same:

Rules. Section 19. Clause 19.2. Last paragraph. When blinded, the driver must turn on alarm and without changing lane, slow down and stop.

And finally, the most difficult conditions movement!

Not only is it night outside, there is also insufficient visibility!

In this case, the Rules did not come up with anything new, because all the possibilities of a modern vehicle have already been exhausted.

That's whyin low visibility conditions the procedure for using external lighting devices is the same at any time of the day. You can turn on the high beam, you can turn on the low beam, you can add fog lights, you can turn on the rear fog lights.

Another thing is that experienced drivers when driving in heavy fog, rain or snow, never use high beams. They know full well that in such conditions, the high beam is ineffective - it simply does not reach the road surface, and the driver sees nothing but fog, snow or rain.

In such conditions, the most correct thing is dipped beam plus fog lights. And, of course, the speed must be such that the stopping distance is less than the visibility distance.

A special case - towing!

When towing, two vehicles move as one at a close distance from each other. In this case, they should designate themselves as one whole.

Towing - in front, and he has includedlights, towed - at the back, and it has includedparking lights .

Rules. Section 19. Clause 19.1. At night and in conditions of insufficient visibility, regardless of road lighting, as well as in tunnels, a moving vehicle must turn on the following lighting devices:

- on all motor vehicles and mopeds - driving or dipped beam headlights, on bicycles - headlights or lanterns, on horse-drawn carts– lights (if any);

- on trailersand towed motor vehicles - parking lights.

The rules forbade the towed person to turn on the headlights even at night and even in conditions of insufficient visibility (only side lights!). And this has its own logic. After all, the towed one will also have an emergency flasher turned on:

Rules. Section 7. Clause 7.1. emergency light signaling must be turned on when towing (on a towed motor vehicle).

To designate your vehicle, this is quite enough, but it does not need to illuminate anything - a towing vehicle is driving ahead at a maximum of 6 meters.

There is one such problem in Tickets, and here you are often mistaken:

What external lighting devices should be turned on at night and in conditions of insufficient visibility, regardless of road lighting, as well as in tunnels on towed vehicles?

1. Daytime Running Lights.

2. Parking lights.

3. Rear fog lights.

Regardless of the lighting of the road, as well as in the tunnels on a moving vehicle, the following lighting devices must be turned on:

  • On all motor vehicles - high or low beam headlights, on bicycles - headlights or lanterns, on horse-drawn carts - lanterns (if any);
  • On trailers and towed motor vehicles - clearance lights.

What external lighting devices can you use when driving at night on unlit sections of roads?

Answer. When driving at night on unlit sections of road, you must use, depending on road conditions, speed of movement and the presence of oncoming and passing vehicles in front, low or high beam headlights.

What external lighting devices should you use when driving at night on illuminated sections of roads in a settlement?

Answer. In built-up areas, the Rules require you to use only dipped-beam headlights when driving at night on illuminated sections of roads. Driving with side lights on is prohibited, as they do not identify your vehicle well enough for other road users. High beam headlights, given its dazzling effect on other drivers, are also prohibited.

What external lighting devices should be included in a tunnel with artificial lighting?

Answer. In a tunnel with artificial lighting, depending on the presence of oncoming or passing vehicles, dipped or main beam headlights should be turned on. Driving only with position or daytime running lights is prohibited, as they do not provide traffic safety in the event of a sudden shutdown of lighting.

What external lighting devices should be turned on at night and in conditions of insufficient visibility, regardless of road lighting, as well as in tunnels on towed motor vehicles?

1. Daytime Running Lights.
2. Parking lights.
3. Rear fog lights.

Answer. On towed mechanical vehicles and on trailers at night and in conditions of insufficient visibility, regardless of the illumination of the road, as well as in tunnels on a moving vehicle, the marker lights must be switched on.

Is it sufficient during daylight hours to turn on daytime running lights to identify a vehicle when driving in fog, when the visibility of the road is less than 300 m?

1. Enough.
2. Not enough.

Answer. The brightness of the LEDs used in daytime running lights is considered sufficient to indicate a vehicle instead of low beam headlights when driving during daylight hours. However, when driving in fog and other conditions of insufficient visibility, the vehicle must have high or low beam headlights on.

Can you use fog lights instead of low beam headlights during daylight hours?

Answer. IN daytime to designate a vehicle, the driver can use

Sometimes drivers, going to overnight trip looking for something special effective remedy, For example . In such a situation, the driver should know a few simple medical facts. First, a person who has followed a regimen of staying awake during the day and sleeping at night for years will not be able to completely get rid of the desire to sleep at night. You can only prevent him from sleeping, which is what these kinds of pills do. After taking them, the body will be exhausted, and then the person will have to increase the intake of vitamins and sleep during normal hours for several days. It would be more correct to say "try to get enough sleep", because taking pills for night wakefulness will not go unnoticed - you may be haunted by insomnia for some time. The second is any pills, and, in particular, sleeping pills for driving are not completely eliminated from the body. All of them leave "traces" in tissues that never leave the body naturally. After several doses of these pills, you may begin to experience chronic problems with falling asleep. And then, perhaps, it will come to your mind to start taking sleeping pills in order to fall asleep. Here is the next medical fact for you. Any sleeping pill does not actually help you sleep, but instead it turns off consciousness. Sleep after taking sleeping pills is not sleep at all. This is easy to verify if you try to wake someone who helped himself to sleep in this way. If, however, a person is allowed to wake up on his own, after sleeping on sleeping pills, there is no feeling of cheerfulness and physical tone that is usual for a healthy sleep. In essence, this is an attempt to correct the result of taking one pill by taking another, and this is a disastrous path.

The worst thing is the consistent reception pills to keep you awake at the wheel and then sleeping pills (sleeping pills). In this case, the endocrine system receives crushing chemical blows and a person can chronically come into a mentally inadequate state. If at the same time he is advised to go to a psychiatrist, it will not be possible to save him. We will not go into the details of such stories - they are easy to find on the net. Just if you still decide to take a pill - first re-read these lines.

The driver before the night road is recommended to have a good sleep. If this is not possible, then it is worth protecting yourself from excessive stress: long reading, loud noise, hard mental work, TV or computer work. Take brewed coffee or strong tea with sugar and lemon with you on the road. This is the most available ways Togo, how not to sleep at the wheel, and it will break the monotony of a long road.

If you feel that fatigue is taking over, then it is better not to risk it and stop for a while. Do some simple exercises to relax your back and neck muscles. They will help increase blood circulation and saturate the brain with oxygen. The same effect can be achieved by taking a few slow deep breaths and exhalations. Washing with cold water also relieves fatigue and invigorates a little.

How not to sleep at the wheel at night and what to do if you want to sleep while driving

There is a very effective way as how not to sleep at night driving. The essence of what is happening to the driver is that he is focused on driving. Now, the secret is to switch attention. And switch so that it is completely gone from the driving process. After that, you can return to driving the car and feel cheerful for a while. So anyway, what to do if you want to sleep while driving? Answer: you need to stop, get out of the car and walk around the car. Despite the apparent simplicity of this method, it is very effective. Walk around the car several times. Best of all, if you could walk like this for at least thirty minutes. This method is good because it returns attention to driving, and at the same time you do not affect the body with caffeine or anything else. Try it if you haven't tried it yet. Whatever happens, in any situation, our field assistance specialists on the roads of Moscow will come and provide the necessary assistance.

There is also such a thing as twilight. This is a natural phenomenon that occurs twice a day: after sunset and before sunrise. Twilight is due to the fact that direct sunlight no longer hits the earth's surface, but illuminates the sky, and objects are illuminated by light scattered in the atmosphere. And in one of the following chapters, it will be possible to find out the limited visibility of the road on closed turns, on a mountain road (serpentine), on a forest road, at an intersection in a village and when overtaking a bus at a bus stop.

The human eye does not immediately adapt to the onset of darkness. The process can last up to half an hour and consists in changes in the retina and pupil, which allow a person to adapt to lighting conditions, to see in conditions of insufficient visibility in twilight light and in partial darkness. Such an adaptation, called dark adaptation, is associated with the expansion of the pupils and with the activation of the activity of the rods - the peripheral processes of the photoreceptors of the retina, which function better in the dark.

When we talk about the traffic situation and use the word "darkness", then, as a rule, we mean the dark time of the day, to which this section is devoted. But it should be understood that all the features of the road traffic and tips for driving at night fully apply to other conditions with insufficient illumination, for example, in unlit tunnels, under dense crowns of trees, etc.

Danger. The main feature of the dark time of the day is low illumination or its complete absence. This results in two major hazards: unfamiliar environments and driver fatigue.


During the day, most objects are lit quite brightly and evenly. Driving the same way several times, you get used to the location of roadside objects, road signs, markings, as well as holes, bumps and other obstacles. Everything looks different at night. Objects that are clearly visible during the day lose their clear outlines in the dark, become barely noticeable, and the eyes no longer distinguish shades of even primary colors. You don't see the lines road markings and, ultimately, the exact direction of movement. All these factors affect the behavior of the driver, caught in an unusual environment. It is not surprising that in such conditions it is easy to turn in the wrong direction, miss the right turn, because the signs road conditions became different, unusual.

The most dangerous period in terms of illumination is the transition from sunlight to darkness or vice versa, that is, evening and morning twilight. During these hours, objects are no longer so intensely illuminated, and the included headlights as an additional source of light are still completely insufficient. In addition, sometimes drivers continue to drive at the same speed as during the day, ignoring poor visibility.

Another danger is the driver himself. Nature has decreed that at night people should sleep. With the onset of darkness, our biological clock gives a kind of signal to go to sleep to all organs, primarily to the brain. If a person is driving late into the night, then he begins to experience fatigue, which increases over time, becomes longer and more intense. In the evening twilight, bouts of fatigue begin, which can continue until complete darkness, when the internal reserves of the body turn on - the so-called second wind. On the other hand, morning twilight is just as dangerous as evening twilight, if not more so. Fatigue accumulates overnight, and by morning the driver wants to sleep much more than in the evening. According to statistics, cases when drivers fall asleep at the wheel occur precisely in the pre-morning hours.

Dangerous when driving at night there may be bright light. We are talking about a sharp change from darkness to light, for example, when entering a locality or illuminated by street lamps petrol station: eyes that have already adapted to the darkness experience shock and lose their visual acuity for a few seconds.

Typical mistakes. Often, drivers do not pay due attention to night trips. And very in vain, because night driving requires increased attention and high visual acuity. But motorists make mistakes that can turn into bad consequences. For example, a long bright light, looking at small details, loud music reduce the sharpness of night vision. A tired driver loses the speed of reactions. And since night trips often occur after a working day, the probability of an accident is very high.

Sometimes drivers do not monitor the condition of the car's lights. Meanwhile, only one non-burning marker lamp in the rear light for the car that follows you, can visually turn your car into a motorcycle and change its dimensions, narrowing them down to half a meter.

Damaged windows themselves reduce visibility, and in the dark they can also refract the beams of the headlights of oncoming or passing vehicles. It misleads you, forces you to make the wrong decisions and take the wrong actions.

And finally, about respect for your colleagues. Everyone knows how unpleasant it is when an oncoming car blinds with high beam headlights. Most drivers switch their high beams to low beams when oncoming traffic. But many people forget that you can also be blinded when a car with a high beam is approaching from behind the vehicle in front. A motorist gets a beam of light in his eyes, which is reflected in the rear-view mirror, which leads to partial blindness and an accident.

Riding at night

TO driving at night need to prepare in advance. This applies to both technical condition vehicle, as well as the condition of the driver.

Check if all bulbs are lit in the headlights and rear lights. Pay special attention to stoplights, ask someone to help you with this. Learn headlight control on a car you've been driving recently so you don't have to search in the dark desired buttons and pens. If the lenses of headlights or lamps are dirty, wipe them down, as the light output through cloudy optics loses up to half of its power. Replace broken glass and splintered lenses of headlights and lanterns in a timely manner.


Adjust the direction of the headlight beam. Properly tuned light sources will not blind oncoming drivers, and they illuminate the road as designed. In a loaded car, the headlights shine higher, so do not forget to use the headlight corrector and set the position that corresponds to the load. If the vehicle is equipped with xenon headlights, periodically check the automatic headlight beam throw adjustment.

When driving, keep a distance from the vehicle in front. It should be larger than during the day, because at night the perception changes, and the estimate of the safe distance also changes. Watch the speed, do not exceed the maximum allowed in this area, but rather reduce it by 10-15 km / h.

With peripheral vision, hold on to the solid marking line that limits the right edge of the carriageway. Despite the fact that at night high speed the road visually narrows, do not try to drive close to the center line or dividing line. But do not drive to the side of the road: there may be pedestrians or parked vehicles.

Riding at night with a high beam leads to blinding oncoming drivers, so do not forget to switch it to the low beam in a timely manner when passing oncoming traffic and approaching a passing vehicle. At the same time, reduce your speed. Optimal Speed driving outside the city with low beam - 50 km / h.

If the oncoming driver does not want to switch the high beam in any way, signal this to him with a few short-term switching on of the high beam. If blinding does occur, immediately slow down without resorting to emergency braking, turn on the hazard warning lights, turn right and stop. Do all this quickly and clearly enough, but do not provoke a collision with you from behind. When driving oncoming traffic, even if the driver switched the headlights to dipped, but it seems too bright to you, look not at the approaching car, but at right shoulder, which is indicated by a solid line.

Finally, plan your itinerary in advance. If you have a trip to another region, study the relevant maps, take them with you. Minimize the search for the desired turn, do not interfere with other cars. Keep in mind that pavement, especially in remote areas, is not always smooth and asphalt, so be prepared for a sudden change of scenery.

SDA. Clause 1.2 of the SDA defines: "Dark time of day - the period of time from the end of evening twilight to the beginning of morning twilight". Accordingly, all the restrictions and advice listed above apply precisely to this time. But remember the insidiousness of twilight, as well as the unexpected darkness that comes, for example, in unlit tunnels.

In addition, there is a strict limitation specified in paragraph 2 " General Responsibilities drivers”, namely in clause 2.3.1: "It is forbidden to move<...>non-burning (missing) headlights and rear parking lights at night or in poor visibility.

It is said in the traffic rules and that "emergency lights must be turned on<...>when the driver is blinded by headlights"(clause 7.1).

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