How should you react if your headlights fail while driving at night?

When your headlights fail while driving at night, the appropriate response is to try switching to high beams or activate your hazard lights and safely pull over. This action helps in a couple of crucial ways. First, using your high beams (if they are still operational) can provide light to illuminate the roadway, albeit temporarily. Activating hazard lights alerts other drivers to your situation, indicating that you may be having trouble and allowing them to navigate around you more safely.

Safely pulling over is essential for your own safety as well as that of other drivers. It prevents the risk of accidents due to decreased visibility. It also allows you to assess the situation further and decide how to proceed, whether that's to fix the issue or call for assistance.

Other options, like continuing to drive in the dark or speeding up, can create dangerous conditions for both you and other road users, as they increase the likelihood of collisions. Turning on your interior lights, while it may provide some illumination for you, can actually reduce your ability to see the road ahead and does not address the immediate problem of lacking headlights.