Driving at night and in bad weather

Headlights and high beams, rain, fog, snow and ice, skids, and driving when you can't see far.

• Switch to low beams within 150 m of an oncoming vehicle so the glare does not blind its driver.
• High beams reflect off the water droplets in fog and make it harder to see. Use low beams, plus fog lights if you have them.
• Wet roads on bridges, overpasses and in shaded areas freeze first. Look ahead and slow down before you reach them.
• Stay calm, ease off the accelerator or brake, and steer where you want the vehicle to go without oversteering.
• Pulsing is normal with ABS. Press hard and hold the pedal; releasing or pumping it stops ABS from doing its job.
• High beams reflect off the snow and make it harder to see. Use low beams, slow down and increase your following distance.
• ABS reduces brake force on a wheel that is about to lock, helping you keep steering control. Do not expect it to shorten your stopping distance.
• Ease off the gas or brake and steer where you want the car to go. Small, smooth steering corrections work; jerking the wheel or oversteering makes the skid worse.
• Rain is especially slippery when it first starts. Slow down right away, not only after the road is soaked.
• When it is safe, stop quickly and firmly at 50 km/h. The vehicle should stop in a straight line without pulling to one side.
• A plow's flashing blue lights can be seen from about 150 m. When you see them, slow down early; the plow may be moving much slower than you.
• A plow's wing can reach as far as 3 m to the right, so it may cover part of the next lane or shoulder. Stay well back.
• Wet brakes may not work well. When safe, test them, for example with a firm stop at 50 km/h, to dry them out.
• Looking up and slightly to the right helps you keep your lane without being dazzled by the glare.
• Your eyes need time to adjust to the darker tunnel. Slowing down, removing sunglasses and using headlights help you see and be seen.
• With too much water or too much speed, tires ride on the water like water skis, and steering and braking become very hard.
• Good tires with deep tread and lower speeds help your tires keep contact with a wet road.
• Do not use cruise control in snow or on wet or icy roads, or in heavy traffic. You need full control of your speed.
• Most skids happen when drivers go too fast for the conditions. Hard braking, sharp turns or sudden acceleration add to the risk.
• Blowing snow can create whiteouts that hide the road completely. Drive only if you must, use low beams and leave extra space.
• In fog, be patient: avoid passing and lane changes, use low beams, slow down gradually and leave more space ahead.
• Your sun visor and good sunglasses cut daytime glare. Keep both hands on the wheel and slow down if you cannot see well.
• Streaky wipers reduce how well you can see in rain and snow. Replace worn wiper blades.
• In fog, avoid passing and never speed up to pass a slow vehicle. Keep extra following distance; the posted limit is a maximum, not a target.
• If your stopping distance is longer than what your headlights show, you may not stop in time for a hazard. Slow down at night.

Read this part of the official handbook on Ontario.ca →