Night driving is challenging enough without having the oncoming cars flashing brights at us. It is customary to flash an oncoming vehicle if they are on brights and we need dims or to warn someone of an upcoming speed trap. However, if we find we are getting this signal all the time and we aren’t on brights, there might be another problem we haven’t considered: Our headlights might not be aligned correctly.

Most vehicle repair manuals say to check the headlight adjustment every 12 months as well as any time a lamp is replaced or front end damage has occurred. It is important that the headlights be aimed properly so we can see down the road and not just in the windshields of oncoming vehicles.

Misalignment of headlights can happen when someone replaces a bad light bulb and turns the headlamp adjusting screws instead of the retaining fasteners. Simply not knowing what the screw adjusts can mess up the factory setting for both horizontal and vertical placement of the light. It isn’t a huge problem to correct it yourself if you know what you are doing. If you are not sure where to start or simply don’t want to try, most auto repair centers will check into it for you for a small fee. Professional mechanics use a headlight adjuster kit, but you can adjust your headlights at home with a screwdriver, some masking tape and a bit of instruction.

Park your vehicle on a flat paved surface facing a wall. Locate the adjustment screws on the side and bottom of the headlamps. Some cars will have two screws in each headlamp and others will just have one. It’s a good idea to find these adjuster screws while it is still light out so you aren’t looking for them in the dark while the headlamps are burning and making them hot. Then wait for it to get dark. Turn on the headlights and notice how they are shining on the wall, they should be even and straight. Pull the car up to the wall so you can mark the centerline for each light. You want a basic idea or T area where the headlight should be centered.

Now back the car up straight 10-25 feet from the wall. Turn the headlights on the low beam setting, adjusting them on low beam will mean the high beams will be right as well. With the lights on, see how they match up to the T lines you put on the wall in masking tape. It’s time to adjust either horizontally or vertically or both. Turning the adjusting screws slowly with the screwdriver while watching the light beams on the wall, you should be able to see a change in horizontal and vertical placement based on turning these screws. The low beam lights should hit two to four inches below the horizontal centerline and two to four inches right of the vertical center line. If the lights were totally centered they could blind oncoming traffic when you are on the roadways. Being pointed down slightly from center allows the light beam to keep the light on the road instead of in the oncoming windshields.

Once you have the light beams aimed accordingly, your headlamps are adjusted properly. Remove the masking tape from the wall and throw it away, put away your tools and put the car in the garage. You have now completed the task and will be able to drive in the dark without constantly being flashed by oncoming drivers. There are enough reasons for road rage out there without adding headlamps to the eyes as one of them.

Remember it’s not a crime if you aren’t a Saturday afternoon mechanic. Your local auto repair center will be happy to help you with the project. However, if you are gifted with mechanical hands, it never hurts to save yourself some money and do the project on your own time.

Night driving doesn’t have to be more dangerous. The purpose for headlights is to make it safe and easy to drive at night. Make sure yours are doing the job for you and not hindering you and oncoming drivers.