California DMV Motorcycle Knowledge Test (M1)Lane Position and VisibilityMedium
You are riding at night on an unlit road and notice a vehicle behind you with its high beams on, causing glare in your mirrors. What is the best course of action to maintain safe visibility?
- AAdjust your mirrors to reflect the glare back at the driver.
- BAdjust your mirrors to the 'day' setting or tilt them down to reduce glare, and frequently check over your shoulder.
- CUse your left hand to block the glare in your left mirror, while occasionally checking the right.
- DSpeed up to get away from the vehicle as quickly as possible.
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: B. Adjust your mirrors to the 'day' setting or tilt them down to reduce glare, and frequently check over your shoulder.
Many motorcycle mirrors have a 'day/night' setting or can be tilted to reduce glare. Additionally, frequently checking over your shoulder for traffic behind you ensures you maintain awareness of following vehicles without being blinded by high beams.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. This is aggressive, illegal (in many places), and could provoke an unsafe reaction from the other driver.
- C. Blocking a mirror with your hand compromises your ability to see behind you, which is unsafe.
- D. Speeding up can be dangerous, especially at night on an unlit road, and doesn't guarantee the vehicle won't continue to follow you.
Night Glare Management
Techniques used by motorcyclists to mitigate the blinding effects of high beams or other bright lights at night.
- Adjust mirrors to 'day' setting or tilt down.
- Use head checks to supplement mirror views.
- Avoid staring into oncoming lights.
Memory trick: Mirror down, head around, keep your vision sound.