When driving at night on a dimly lit street using high beams, when should you dim your lights?

Dimming your headlights when you are within 500 feet of a vehicle you are approaching from behind is important for safety. High beams can severely impair the vision of the driver in front of you due to the intense brightness of the lights reflecting off the rearview mirror or the back of the vehicle. Therefore, dimming your lights in this scenario helps ensure that the vehicle ahead can see clearly and safely navigate the road without being distracted or blinded by your headlights.

In terms of other options, they cover different situations where it might be appropriate to adjust your headlights, but none are as specific and crucial for preventing visibility impairment to other drivers as the distance from which you are approaching another vehicle. For example, encountering oncoming traffic also necessitates dimming your lights, but the focus on distance from the vehicle in front captures a particular crucial moment where you directly influence another driver's experience. Similarly, urban areas may have varying levels of lighting, but the key is to remodulate your high beams based on proximity to other vehicles, making the 500-foot rule particularly essential for responsible nighttime driving.