2003 Pontiac Grand Am Owner's Manual - Page 197

2003 Pontiac Grand Am Manual

Page 197 highlights

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 to night. But if you're driving, don't wear sunglasses at night. They may cut down on glare from headlamps, but they also make a lot of things invisible. You can be temporarily blinded by approaching headlamps. It can take a second or two, or even several seconds, for your eyes to readjust 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 headlamps), slow down a little. Avoid staring directly into the approaching headlamps. Keep your windshield and all the glass on your vehicle clean - inside and out. Glare at night is made much worse by dirt on the glass. Even the inside of the glass can build up a film caused by dust. Dirty glass makes lights dazzle and flash more than clean glass would, making the pupils of your eyes contract repeatedly. Remember that your headlamps light up far less of a roadway when you are in a turn or curve. Keep your eyes moving; that way, it's easier to pick out dimly lighted objects. Just as your headlamps should be checked regularly for proper aim, so should your eyes be examined regularly. Some drivers suffer from night blindness - the inability to see in dim light - and aren't even aware of it. 4-18

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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
to
night. But
if
you’re driving, don’t wear sunglasses at night. They may
cut down
on
glare from headlamps, but they also
make
a
lot
of things invisible.
You can be temporarily blinded by approaching
headlamps.
It
can take a second or
two,
or even several
seconds, for
your eyes
to
readjust
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 headlamps), slow down a little. Avoid staring
directly into the approaching headlamps.
Keep
your windshield and
all the glass
on
your
vehicle
clean
-
inside and out.
Glare
at night is made
much
worse by dirt on the glass. Even the inside of the
glass
can build up a film caused by dust.
Dirty
glass
makes
lights dazzle and flash more
than clean glass
would,
making the pupils of your
eyes contract repeatedly.
Remember that your headlamps light up
far
less
of a
roadway when you are in a turn or
curve.
Keep
your eyes moving; that
way, it’s easier
to
pick
out
dimly
lighted objects. Just as your
headlamps
should
be
checked regularly for
proper
aim,
so
should
your
eyes
be examined regularly. Some drivers suffer
from
night blindness
-
the
inability
to
see in dim
light
-
and
aren’t even aware of it.
4-1
8