Study guide2 min read
Night driving and high beams in Alberta
Visibility is reduced at night. Your headlights help you see and be seen, but only if you use them correctly and drive within what they light up.p. 82
Checked against the Driver’s Guide (Spring 2026) on .
The short version
- Switch to low beams within 300 metres of an oncoming vehicle.p. 82
- Switch to low beams when you are following within 150 metres of another vehicle (about one and a half city blocks).p. 82
- Headlights must be on at night, and any time you can’t see clearly 150 metres (500 feet) ahead.p. 81
- Don’t overdrive your headlights: drive at a speed that lets you stop within the distance they light.p. 82
When your headlights must be on
Turn your headlights on at night, and at any time you can’t clearly see 150 metres (500 feet) ahead. Daytime running lights aren’t bright enough for night driving, and with them your tail lights and instrument panel lights stay off.p. 81
When to switch to low beams
| Situation | Use low beams within |
|---|---|
| Oncoming vehicle | 300 metres |
| Following another vehicle | 150 metres (about one and a half city blocks) |
- Use low beams for oncoming traffic even on a divided highway.p. 81
- Keep your headlights clean and properly aimed so they don’t bother other drivers.p. 81
- Low beams are also the right choice in rain, fog and smoke, where high beams reflect back at you: Winter driving and skids in Alberta.p. 82
Glare from oncoming headlights
- Don’t look straight at oncoming headlights. Look slightly down and to the right edge of your lane until the vehicle has passed.p. 81
- Glare from the sun, reflections or other lights can affect you day or night. If it makes the road hard to see, slow down.p. 82
- Keep your windows clean inside and out to see better.p. 82
Don’t outdrive your headlights
Drive at a speed that lets you react, and stop, within the distance your headlights light up.p. 82
If both headlights fail, or you hit an animal: After a collision or breakdown in Alberta.