Headlights, Night Driving and Distractions

Key points

1. Headlights must be used from 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise.

   Source: Handbook p. 59

   “Beginning 30 minutes after sunset and 30 minutes before sunrise.”
   Oklahoma Driver Manual, Handbook p. 59

2. Dim high beams within 1,000 feet of an oncoming vehicle or 600 feet of a vehicle you follow.

   Source: Handbook p. 59

   “Dim your high beam headlights to low beams within 1000 feet of an oncoming vehicle or within 600 feet of the vehicle you are following.”
   Oklahoma Driver Manual, Handbook p. 59

3. Use low beams with streetlights, fog, rain, snow or bad weather.

   Source: Handbook p. 59

   “Use low beams where there are streetlights, fog, rain, snow or adverse weather conditions.”
   Oklahoma Driver Manual, Handbook p. 59

4. Do not overdrive your headlights; slow so you can stop within the distance you can see.

   Source: Handbook p. 41

   “adjust your speed so you can stop within the distance you can see.”
   Oklahoma Driver Manual, Handbook p. 41

5. Texting while driving is illegal in Oklahoma.

   Source: Handbook p. 61

   “As of 2015, it is illegal to text while driving in Oklahoma.”
   Oklahoma Driver Manual, Handbook p. 61

6. Permit or intermediate license holders can be suspended or canceled for using a hand held electronic device while driving.

   Source: Handbook p. 61

   “Learner's Permit or Intermediate License holders can be suspended or have their license canceled for using a hand-held electronic device”
   Oklahoma Driver Manual, Handbook p. 61

7. Never unbuckle your seat belt to reach for a phone.

   Source: Handbook p. 61

   “Do not unbuckle your seat belt to reach for a phone.”
   Oklahoma Driver Manual, Handbook p. 61

8. If another driver is targeting you, go to a safe place with people, such as a police, fire or gas station.

   Source: Handbook p. 41

   “If you suspect another driver is targeting you, go to a safe place such as a police, fire or gas station, where there are people.”
   Oklahoma Driver Manual, Handbook p. 41

Numbers to know

3 questions from the Oklahoma practice test

1. 1. When does the Oklahoma manual say headlights must be on at night?

   1. From sunset to sunrise exactly
   2. One hour after sunset
   3. Beginning 30 minutes after sunset and until 30 minutes before sunrise
   4. Only when it is fully dark
   Show answer

   Beginning 30 minutes after sunset and until 30 minutes before sunrise. Oklahoma's headlight list says to use your headlights beginning 30 minutes after sunset and 30 minutes before sunrise, when a road sign states that headlights must be used, and with low beams in fog, rain, snow, adverse weather or where there are streetlights. The half hour buffer covers the dusk period when unlit cars are hardest to see. Waiting for full darkness or an hour after sunset is too late.

2. 2. When should headlights be changed from high beams to low beams for an oncoming vehicle?

   1. Only after the other driver flashes headlights
   2. Within 1,000 feet of the oncoming vehicle
   3. Within 100 feet of the oncoming vehicle
   4. Only on roads with a posted speed limit above 55 mph
   Show answer

   Within 1,000 feet of the oncoming vehicle. High beams can interfere with another driver's vision, so the manual sets a 1,000-foot distance for dimming when a vehicle is approaching. Waiting for a flash or until 100 feet leaves the other person exposed to glare for too long. The posted speed does not determine this lighting duty. Watch for oncoming headlights early, switch to low beams at the stated distance, and keep your own speed appropriate for the reduced illumination.

3. 3. What does the Oklahoma manual say about reaching for a phone while driving?

   1. Reach for it only at speeds under 30 mph
   2. Do not unbuckle your seat belt to reach for a phone
   3. Have a passenger unbuckle instead
   4. It is fine if the call is short
   Show answer

   Do not unbuckle your seat belt to reach for a phone. Among its phoning tips, the manual says not to unbuckle your seat belt to reach for a phone. An unbuckled driver stretching across the seat is unprotected and not steering. Use memory dial and voice activated dialing when possible, pull off the road before calling whenever you can, and keep calls short. Speed and call length do not make an unbelted reach safe.

Source: the Oklahoma Driver Manual, Chapter 11: Driving Tips. This lesson is a plain English summary, not the law itself; where it differs, the manual and the statute govern. Last checked 2026-09-27.