1993 Buick Park Avenue Owner's Manual - Page 184

Night Vision No one can see as well at night as in the daytime. But as we get older these differences increase. A 50-year-old driver may require at least twice as much light to see the same thing at night as a 20-year-old. What you do in the daytime can also affect your night vision. For example, if you spend the day in bright sunshine you are wise to wear sunglasses. Your eyes will have less trouble adjusting tonight. But if you're driving, don'twear sunglasses at night. They may cut down on glare from headlights, but they also make a lot of things invisible that should remain visible - such as parked cars, obstacles, pedestrians, or even trains blocking railway crossings. You may want to put on your sunglasses after you have pulled into a brightly-lighted service or refreshment area. Eyes shielded from that glare may adjust more quickly to darkness back on the road. But be sure to remove your sunglasses before you leave the service area. You can be temporarily blinded by approaching lights. It can take a second or two, or even several seconds, for your eyes toreadjust to the dark. When you are faced with severe glare(as from a driver who doesn't lower the high beams, or a vehicle with misaimed headlights), slow down a little. Avoid staring directly into the approaching lights. If there is a line of opposing traffic, make occasional glances over the lineof headlights to make certain that one of the vehicles isn't starting to move into your lane. Once you are past the bright lights, give your eyes time to readjust before resuming speed. High Beams If the vehicle approaching you has its high beams on, signal by flicking yours to high and then back to low beam. This is the usual signal to lower the headlight beams. If the other driver still doesn't lower the beams, resist the temptation to put your high beams on. This only makes two half-blinded drivers. On a freeway, use your high beams only in remote areas where you won't impair approaching drivers. In some places, like cities, using high beams is illegal. When you follow another vehicle on a freeway or highway, use low beams. True, most vehicles now have day-night mirrors that enable the driver to reduce glare. But outside mirrors are not of this type and high beams from behind can bother the driver ahead. A Few More Night Driving Suggestions Keep your windshield and all the glass on your vehicle clean -- inside and out. Glare atnight is made much worse by dirt on the glass. Even the inside of the glass can build up a film caused by dust. Tobacco smoke also