Tennessee Permit Practice Test

Under what conditions should you use your high beams?

1. When driving on rural roads with no oncoming traffic

2. In heavy traffic

3. During foggy conditions

4. At night in the city

The correct answer is: When driving on rural roads with no oncoming traffic

Using high beams is primarily beneficial in situations where visibility is reduced due to a lack of ambient lighting, such as rural roads where there is no oncoming traffic. High beams illuminate the road farther ahead and provide better sightlines in darker areas, allowing drivers to see potential hazards, wildlife, or roadside obstructions more easily. While heavy traffic, foggy conditions, and city driving at night present visibility challenges, using high beams in those situations can be counterproductive. In heavy traffic, high beams can blind other drivers, which is unsafe. Fog can reflect light, making visibility worse, and thus fog lights or low beams are more appropriate. In a city, streetlights typically provide sufficient light, reducing the need for high beams; using them in this context can also blind others nearby, which is discouraged. Hence, the safest and most appropriate context for using high beams is on rural roads with no oncoming traffic.