Always being blinded by high beams when you drive at night? Try this little known rear view mirror trick

IF you’ve ever driven at night and been blinded as the car behind you puts its full beams on, you’ll know it’s distracting as well as dangerous.

Luckily there’s something very simple you can do to avoid the problem, and you’ll definitely want to give it a try.

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How can I stop full beam lights from blinding me when I drive at night?

Car rear view mirrors already have a way of helping our eyes at night, but not everyone realises it’s there.

There’s a tab you can flick to help reflect the light from the car behind’s high beams upwards and away from your eyes.

Josh Clark from Youtube channel BrainStuff – HowStuffWorks explained the tip: “What looks like a little piece of flat mirror hanging from your windscreen is actually a prismatic wedge.”

That just means it’s angled.

The way it’s usually set is fine for daytime, but gives a glare when lights hit it at night.

Flicking the switch swaps the angle around, meaning the dazzle disappears as the excess light is reflected upward and away from your eyes.

It may look a bit strange at first and take a moment to get used to, but your eyes will thank you if the car behind flashes on its full beams.

When should you use high beam lights on the road?

Drivers should use high beam lights when they’re on an empty stretch of road or motorway, and to aid with visibility in the dark.

But they are so bright they can dazzle other drivers, which can result in a crash, so you should switch back to dipped headlights when you see another car approaching or driving ahead of you.

Don’t use full beam headlights in the daytime, even if visibility is poor – use dipped headlights or sidelights instead, or your fog lights if it’s appropriate.

If you have full beams on at the wrong time and dazzle other drivers, you run the risk of getting points on your license for driving without due care and attention.

Making sure you’re away of rules such as this is important or you could end up with a fine or points on your licence.

The DVLA has flagged six things drivers need to be wary of this winter, and we have some tips for drivers de-icing their windows as the temperature drops.