What is the correct action when driving in adverse weather conditions?

Reducing speed and increasing following distance when driving in adverse weather conditions is essential for maintaining control of your vehicle and ensuring safety. Adverse weather can include rain, snow, fog, or icy conditions, all of which can greatly reduce visibility and traction. By reducing your speed, you allow yourself more time to react to unforeseen circumstances, such as suddenly slowing traffic or obstacles on the road.

Increasing the following distance gives you a larger buffer zone between your vehicle and the one ahead, which is critical in adverse conditions where stopping distances can significantly increase. This additional space helps to prevent collisions and provides more time to respond to changes in traffic or road conditions.

In comparison, maintaining speed might lead to losing control of the vehicle due to decreased traction, while using high beams can actually reduce visibility in fog or heavy rain by causing light to reflect back at you. Keeping the same distance from other vehicles without adjusting for weather can similarly increase the risk of an accident if the situation changes suddenly. Therefore, the best practice in adverse weather is to slow down and increase distance for safety.