During night driving, what should you do when facing oncoming headlights?

When driving at night and facing oncoming headlights, looking towards the side of the road is advisable. This helps to reduce the blinding effect caused by the bright lights. Oncoming headlights can impair your vision and make it difficult to see the road clearly. By shifting your gaze to the side, you can lessen the glare and maintain better visibility of the road and any potential hazards.

Maintaining focus on the road ahead without distraction, while generally good advice, does not address the specific challenge posed by the glare of oncoming headlights. Looking directly at the headlights can be dangerous as it could temporarily blind you and hinder your ability to see oncoming traffic or obstacles. Turning on high beams is inappropriate in this situation because it can blind other drivers and worsen visibility rather than improve it. Therefore, looking towards the side of the road is the safest approach during night driving when facing oncoming headlights.