When is it necessary to dim your headlights while driving?

Dimming your headlights when within 500 feet of an approaching vehicle is essential for maintaining safety on the road. High beams are designed to illuminate the road further ahead but can cause significant glare and obstruct the vision of oncoming drivers. By dimming your headlights, you reduce this glare, allowing other drivers to see better and maintain their ability to navigate safely. This practice is not only courteous but also a traffic regulation designed to prevent accidents.

While dimming headlights in residential areas can be a good practice, it is not a specific requirement unless another vehicle is nearby. On highways, it's generally advisable to use high beams in the absence of oncoming traffic but dim them when there is. In rainy conditions, turning on low beams is necessary because high beams can reflect off the rain and create additional glare, but the specific rule about distance in relation to approaching vehicles is more critical to ensure overall safety.