Spotlight On Night Driving

Driving at night presents a whole new set of challenges, even for the more experienced drivers among us. The reason us, with visibility reduced by the darkness, hazards that may be glaringly obvious in daylight might be harder to see. However, there are steps you can take to ensure a safer drive through the night.

Tip #1. How well can you see? Do you need glasses or contact lenses? Consult with your optometrist. Even those who do not need glasses for their day-to-day tasks, might be required to wear prescription glasses while driving at night.

Tip #2. Go slow when you are leaving a brightly lit building. This will give you eyes time to adjust to the darkness.

Tip #3. A windscreen that is clean and clear. Make sure that your wipers are working efficiently and that the water level in the screen wash bottle has been checked and refilled. Check to see if your vehicle’s lights are clean, working, and set correctly.

Tip #4. Use your low beams in town. On rural lanes, use the full beam only when there is no approaching traffic. Judging speed and distance of other road users correctly is a lot harder in the dark so make sure you keep a safe distance.

Tip #5. Use the light of oncoming vehicles and the vehicles ahead of you to gain valuable clues on the layout of the road. Think about what might be lying ahead and use all the clues you can to anticipate what might be coming up. Clues available include road signs, white lines, and other markings.

Tip #6. Don’t retaliate if you are dazzled by oncoming traffic. Two dazzled by oncoming traffic. Two dazzled drivers are twice as dangerous as one. Move your eyes away from the dazzle and reduce your speed. Be prepared to stop if necessary.

Tip #7. If you are feeling tired, stop. The undeniable fact is, night driving is very tiring because you have to concentrate harder. Make sure there is good ventilation in your car, get plenty of rest before embarking on your journey, and schedule frequent rest stops into your journey to prevent driver fatigue.

Tip #8. When in doubt, don’t overtake. Drivers re advised to be extra careful about overtaking at night. Hazards may be out of the range of your headlights and pose a significant threat if you can’t react fast enough.