Vehicle operation
None of this is expert advice. It's what people worked out for themselves, usually the hard way — what actually helped, and what they'd tell someone standing where you are. Take what fits and leave the rest.
If you only read a few
Be aware that grey, silver, white, or blue cars are harder to see in bad weather.
These colors blend with rain, snow, or gray roads, making them nearly invisible beyond short distances.
4 people, independently
- Turn on headlights when driving a black, silver, or grey car at dusk, dawn, or in rain.2
- Be aware that dark-colored cars can be hard to see in rain and overcast conditions because they blend with the wet road and sky.2
- Be extra vigilant about using headlights if you drive a silver or white car.1
Turn on your headlights when it is raining or snowing, even during the day.
Rain and snow cause glare and fogging, making it hard to see; lights help other drivers see you.
11 people, independently
- Keep dipped beams or daytime running lights on during rain, grey skies, or mist.1
- Turn on headlights during gray or overcast weather to increase visibility.1
- Turn on your lights when driving in rain or blizzards, even during broad daylight, because large vehicle operators may not see you due to obscured mirrors or windows.1
- Turn on your headlights in rain, fog, morning, or night conditions.1
Hold up a lit smartphone screen or use a pocket flashlight/LED fob when hailing a taxi or bus at night to make yourself visible to drivers.
Drivers have trouble seeing people in dark clothing.
- Using a phone may increase the risk of being mugged in some areas; consider using a pocket flashlight or LED keyring fob instead.
2 people, independently
- Use a pocket flashlight or LED key fob instead of a smartphone to hail taxis in areas with high robbery risk.1
Leave extra distance in front of your vehicle when traffic suddenly stops on a highway.
This prevents being sandwiched or pancaked if someone behind you doesn't notice and rear-ends you.
- Maintaining this distance is hard because other drivers often move into that space.
2 people, independently
Use low beams instead of high beams when driving in fog, mist, snow, or heavy rain.
High beams reflect light back at you, reducing visibility and blinding oncoming traffic.
9 people, independently
- Use only low beams in inclement weather; avoid high beams, off-road lights, and hazard lights as they reduce visibility for you and others and are generally illegal.1
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Be aware that daytime running lights may only activate front side lights, leaving tail lights off and unseen by following traffic.
Avoid darting across the street between cars at night.
Drivers may not see you until it is too late.
one person who lived it
Do not drive if you cannot see properly.
You could kill someone.
one person who lived it
Verify your headlights are active if another driver signals with theirs in poor visibility or bad weather.
The flashing driver may be signaling that your lights are off.
- Some drivers mistakenly interpret this as a warning about police.
3 people, independently
Blink slowly as oncoming cars approach, then blink rapidly after they pass to help eyes readjust to the dark.
Rapid blinking helps eyes quickly readjust to darkness.
- Blocking the lights with a hand can also help.
one person who lived it
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Do not rely solely on Daytime Running Lights (DRLs) in rain or fog; ensure full headlights including tail lights are active.
DRLs do not turn on rear lights or side markers and are often dim.
2 people, independently
- Be aware that daytime running lights may only activate front side lights, leaving tail lights off and unseen by following traffic.6
Ensure vehicle headlights are set to 'automatic' mode, as they only function automatically if configured to do so.
If set to 'off', rear lights may remain off, making the vehicle difficult to see from behind. Rental cars are often left in this state.
- Auto mode may fail to turn on headlights on overcast or rainy days due to ambient light levels.
2 people, independently
- Check that rental car headlights are set to 'auto' upon pickup, as agencies often leave them in the 'off' position.2
Brush snow off your headlights and taillights so other drivers can see you.
To ensure others can see your vehicle.
one person who lived it
Ensure taillights are on, particularly when driving into dawn or sunset.
Taillights help traffic behind you see you, especially when the sun is in oncoming drivers' eyes or during twilight.
- Some automatic daylight sensors do not turn on taillights.
2 people, independently
Drive carefully at night in areas where moose are native.
Moose have non-reflective eyes and dark fur, making them difficult to see; they are considered more dangerous than local bears in inhabited areas.
one person who lived it
Recognize that headlights are primarily intended to make your vehicle visible to other people, not just to help you see better.
Understanding this highlights the importance of being seen by others.
one person who lived it
Keep a high-visibility jacket in your car to ensure you are seen by other drivers if you break down at night.
It makes you visible to other drivers during a nighttime breakdown.
one person who lived it
Check headlight alignment by driving toward a wall on level ground.
This allows you to see how high the light cutoff is as you approach.
one person who lived it
Do not rely on illuminated dashboard gauges to confirm headlights are on, as some older cars keep dash lights on with the ignition even if headlights are off.
Dash lights staying on can fool drivers into thinking headlights are on at dusk.
one person who lived it
Re-aim your headlights every time you change the bulbs.
Improper alignment blinds other drivers.
one person who lived it
- Ensure your headlights are aimed correctly and check them against a wall.1
Be overly cautious when entering high-speed roads from a stop in low visibility.
Many drivers do not use lights, and obstructions may limit visibility.
one person who lived it
Be careful when pulling out in front of motorcycles, as they may be harder to see.
Drivers may look for cars but miss motorcycles, leading to accidents even with caution.
one person who lived it
Recognize that the blue indicator light on the instrument cluster means high beams are on, which can blind other drivers.
Unintentional use of high beams blinds other drivers.
one person who lived it
Start the car with headlights fully 'on', then adjust to 'auto' or 'off' if needed.
Ensures lights are active before driving regardless of the time of day.
one person who lived it
Be aware that LED headlights on large trucks can be particularly blinding because they are often positioned at eye level.
The lights can make it difficult to see anything around them.
one person who lived it
- Avoid installing main headlights high on tall vehicles like lifted trucks to prevent blinding oncoming traffic.2
Turn on your headlights during daylight hours to increase visibility.
Being more visible does no harm.
one person who lived it
Manually turn on your headlights instead of relying on automatic light sensors.
Auto lights in newer vehicles cannot be trusted to ensure others can see you.
one person who lived it
Manually keep your headlights on at all times, even if they are automatic, to improve visibility for drivers with poor eyesight.
It helps seniors with bad eyesight see you and provides evidence in accidents where someone claims they didn't see you.
one person who lived it
Do not rely solely on current automatic headlights for gray, foggy, snowy, or rainy days.
They are not sensitive enough for these conditions.
one person who lived it
If your car automatically turns off the lights when locked, leave the headlight switch in the 'on' position permanently.
This prevents forgetting to turn the lights on.
one person who lived it
Verify how your vehicle's headlight system works immediately after purchase to avoid driving with lights off.
Drivers may mistakenly believe headlights are on when they are actually off.
one person who lived it
Switch to low beams when oncoming headlights reflect off power lines on hilly or windy country roads.
The reflection provides enough warning to switch before blinding the other driver.
one person who lived it
Avoid installing aftermarket LED or Xenon bulbs in reflector housings not designed for them.
Such modifications are generally illegal because they cannot be adjusted to prevent blinding oncoming motorists.
2 people, independently
Reaim headlights when pulling a trailer.
Ensures proper visibility and avoids blinding others.
one person who lived it
Be aware that many European countries and some US states mandate daytime running lights or headlights at all times.
3 people, independently
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Keep a large following distance from the car ahead of you.
Leaving more space greatly reduces the chance of an accident and ensures it doesn't matter if the car in front stops short.
3 people, independently
Reframe the lane as shared rather than 'yours' to reduce the urge to protect it.
Viewing it as 'my lane' creates a desire to protect it.
one person who lived it
Leave a larger gap between your car and the vehicle immediately in front of you in congested traffic.
It allows you to react without braking, keeping traffic moving smoothly and preventing starts and stops.
3 people, independently
Use polite language like 'please' and 'thank you' in drive-thrus.
Manners make a lasting positive impression on employees who handle hundreds of cars.
one person who lived it
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Leave extra space between your car and the vehicle in front to prevent being cut off.
Giving space removes the opportunity for others to cut you off.
one person who lived it
Adopt a non-competitive mindset in traffic by accepting that others' actions do not affect your arrival time or peace of mind.
Racing others leads to nowhere, while ignoring competition brings peace and security.
one person who lived it
Avoid double parking to preserve safe passing distance for cyclists.
Double parking compromises the minimum safe distance for cyclists, forcing them into traffic or against parked cars.
one person who lived it
Reframe aggressive driving behavior as accidental or due to urgent personal needs to reduce anger.
Attributing malice causes stress; assuming ignorance or urgency (like needing to use the restroom) helps you stay calm.
one person who lived it
One approach to being tailgated is to slow down, based on the principle that yielding to aggressive drivers incentivizes bad behavior.
Giving in to demands from tailgaters is viewed as negotiating with terrorists and encouraging further aggression.
- Some people believe tailgating forces others to speed up, but this often just angers the driver and causes them to slow down.
one person who lived it
When helping someone on the roadside, an alternative approach is to pull over slightly behind their car and closer to traffic.
This blocks potential threats and creates a buffer against traffic.
one person who lived it
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Adopt the zipper merge method: use the full length of the closing lane and alternate vehicles one by one.
This reduces congestion and collisions.
- Some people do not yield and jam in front of merging vehicles.
3 people, independently
Clean snow and blocky ice from your roof to prevent it from flying off and hitting other cars at high speeds.
Prevents debris from striking other vehicles while driving fast.
one person who lived it
If train barriers close around you and you cannot move, drive through them.
The barriers are designed to break easily and can be repaired.
one person who lived it
Turn off the engine after a crash if there is a risk of fuel leaks.
This protects you from fire in case sparks ignite leaked fuel.
one person who lived it
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Tap your brakes gently four to five times to warn following drivers that you are about to slow down.
Safety first
one person who lived it
Use walkie-talkies or cell phones to coordinate convoy movements and rest stops rather than relying solely on visual signals.
It solves road trip problems and makes them more fun.
one person who lived it
When stopped in a manual transmission vehicle, stay in first gear with the clutch disengaged rather than neutral.
If rear-ended, the impact moves the foot from the clutch, lugging the engine and shutting it down; the engaged first gear blocks the wheels, stopping the car within a meter.
one person who lived it
Use a smartphone app to hail a cab instead of waving the phone like a flashlight.
Avoids safety risks and hassle
one person who lived it
Check your headlights if a driver ahead opens and closes their hand out the window.
This gesture indicates your lights are either off when they should be on, or you are using high beams.
one person who lived it
Pump the brakes (press and release) rather than holding them constant to make brake lights flash.
Flashing lights are more noticeable and help catch the next driver's attention.
one person who lived it
Flash your headlights, turn on hazard lights, and slow down to warn others when encountering a wrong-way driver.
To get attention and warn drivers behind you.
one person who lived it
Tap or pump your brakes to flash brake lights and alert drivers behind you when slowing down.
It alerts the driving behind me / drivers behind you.
2 people, independently
Blip or goose the throttle slightly when approaching a bump.
This helps remove more weight from the front suspension.
one person who lived it
Look far down the road to monitor brake lights toward the horizon.
Anticipating traffic flow early has saved lives.
one person who lived it
Flash your lights into corners on narrow roads with poor visibility to warn oncoming drivers.
It alerts drivers who may trust that no one is coming around the bend.
one person who lived it
Never stop your vehicle on railroad tracks; if you suspect a breakdown, stop before reaching them.
- Some cases involve unavoidable stops on the tracks.
one person who lived it
Point at a driver at a side street to signal them to proceed if they are looking at you.
It helps more than expected if the driver is already looking.
one person who lived it
Honk your horn loudly if you sense an imminent collision.
It lets everyone know something is wrong, which might keep the outcome from being worse.
one person who lived it
Apply the parking brake and press the regular brake pedal hard if you cannot avoid being rear-ended at an intersection.
This prevents you from being pushed into cross traffic, though the rear end of the car will likely be damaged.
one person who lived it
Be aware that hazard lights may disable turn signals.
If you attempt to change lanes or turn, other drivers will not see your signal, creating a surprise.
one person who lived it
Use your turn signal when turning because it is required by law.
It informs other drivers of your intentions and avoids illegality.
- Some people view using a turn signal as a sign of weakness.
2 people, independently
Park behind a stranded motorist to create a barrier between yourself and oncoming traffic.
This provides a way out and protects against drunk drivers veering toward lights.
one person who lived it
Watch the wheels of adjacent vehicles to predict lane changes before they use signals.
Drivers often turn their wheels slightly before consciously looking or signaling.
one person who lived it
- Watch other drivers' wheels rather than their indicators to anticipate turns.1
Signal clearly to truckers when merging or changing lanes near them.
Signaling shows truckers you are aware of their presence and reduces guesswork.
one person who lived it
Do not tailgate at red lights, especially if driving a manual transmission on hills.
Drivers with manual transmissions may roll back slightly before engaging gear.
one person who lived it
Avoid funeral convoys if possible, especially when crossing busy streets.
They are dangerous and have caused additional fatalities.
one person who lived it
If stuck between barriers at a level crossing with the engine running, drive through the barrier using its specified weak points to escape.
one person who lived it
Tap the top of your helmet to signal other motorcyclists about police presence.
The gesture emulates car sirens; more frantic tapping indicates the officer is closer.
one person who lived it
Exit an older car across the front bumper to visually confirm that headlights are off before leaving.
Prevents accidentally leaving lights on and killing the battery, especially in cars without indicators or automatic lights.
one person who lived it
Turn off your engine when stopping at a drive-thru speaker if you drive a loud vehicle.
Employees cannot hear you otherwise.
one person who lived it
Take a motorcycle endorsement class to improve general driving skills through situational awareness training.
One driver reported becoming a much better driver in any vehicle after the training.
one person who lived it