9 Critical Tips Driving at night is just that little bit more difficult than driving during the day. In fact, it has been shown through the use of road casualty statistics and figures that a huge 40% of all collisions occur when it is dark outside. Given that the roads are actually far quieter at these times, that’s a large proportion of all total collisions that occur during the hours of darkness. By learning how to drive far more safely when it is nighttime, we are therefore reducing our chances of being involved in a collision by a huge amount. This is particularly true if you are a novice driver or have just started out on the roads. It has been seen that new drivers feel particularly inexperienced when driving a car in the hours of darkness. In this guide, we look at 9 simple ways to improve your road safety at night. Some may seem obvious, but it is so often these obvious points that are the ones most easily and most quickly forgotten by road users. By reminding ourselves of these 9 essential tips for safe driving at night, we, therefore, are not only making ourselves safer, but we are improving the safety of others on the road too – be they drivers, pedestrians, or passengers. Our tips are mainly based on raising awareness of the risks that come with nighttime driving and how to circumvent them.

1. Use Your Headlights

Using your headlights at all times is actually a very good common practice, but it is essential at night. However, if you get into the habit of using them during the day as well, then you are well placed to use them at night as a matter of course. If you don’t want to use your headlights during the day, try to remember to put them on an hour before the sun goes down or an hour before dusk. Ultimately, putting your headlights on at this time is not actually for your benefit as you will be able to see most things still with the falling Sun. Putting your headlights on at this time is actually to make you far more visible to other drivers on the road, thus making yourself safer as well as those around you and your passengers. This is because you are less likely to cause an accident by a car not being able to see you in good enough time to prevent a collision or any other form of roadside accident. This is why it is a good idea to get into the habit of using your headlights during the day as light can actually fail far earlier than before sunset. For instance, during a thunderstorm, it can be exceptionally dark and you can, therefore, be that much more difficult to see by your fellow road users. By using your headlights at all times, you are far more visible and are therefore doing your bit to make the roads safer as a whole. That being said, remember not to use your high beams on full at all times as this can be dangerous as well given the fact that you will be shining your headlights directly into the eyes of oncoming drivers.

2. Keep A Good Distance From The Person In Front

3. Stay Alert At All Times

4. General Car Maintenance Still Stands at Night

It is even more vital at night, as briefly touched upon above, to take care of your car and its maintenance. This means that you need to keep your headlights clean as well as your mirrors. You also need to ensure that your headlights are pointing in the correct direction for the country you are driving in, as well as making sure that your headlights are fully functioning. So often, people drive around illegally with only one headlight working. Having two will ultimately improve your visibility of the road and your visibility to other drivers. Plus, having two working at the start of your trip means that should one, unfortunately, blow while you are out and about, you still have one to rely on to get you back home or to a safe place where you can fix the blown bulb. At the same time as continuing good, regular maintenance of your car and its headlamps, ensure that your fog headlights are in good order too. Ensure, as well, that your rear lights are all working as well as your front ones. Having them work is to help the drivers around you on the road to vastly improve your visibility.

5. Don’t Drive Tired

Driving at night invariably means that it is quite late in the day when we are all starting to flag and feel a little bit more tired. This immediately makes driving that little bit more dangerous even if you are commuting home from your regular day at work on roads you know well. The time of day still means you are that little bit less alert. Plus, the dark immediately and instinctively makes us more tired and drowsy as when the Sun is down our body tells us it is time to wind down and think about having asleep. Above all, be honest with yourself. If you feel drowsy, is it really worth the risk of getting out onto the roads to finish any journey – long or short? If necessary, when out on the road, take a break at a safe juncture like a service station and have a nap as well as a caffeinated drink. Sleep is the best cure for drowsiness so do take as long as needed for that nap as possible. Plus, if you are planning to drive a long journey in nighttime hours, factor in those much-needed breaks too. That way, you are more likely to take them when needed so that you end up at your destination safely. Having a break every two hours is good practice.

6. Watch Your Speed

Giving yourself time to react by dropping your speed means that you improve the safety of those around you with particular reference to vulnerable road users like cyclists or even pedestrians. While pedestrians should be walking on the pavement or sidewalk, you can never be too careful so drop that speed to be able to react in time to any strange occurrences. The same is for cyclists that share the road, especially ones that are cycling without reflectors or lights. Finally, reducing your speed is also a good idea when you are driving from a bright sunny area into a dark area as your eyes need some time to adjust to the new lighting circumstances. Bear this in mind when driving through dense forests, into a car park, or on very sunny days.

7. Driving at Night Make Sure Your Windows Are in The Best Condition

8. Driving at Night Take the Time to Practice

If you are a nervous road user at night, try to take the time to practice on the roads in the hours of darkness. Doing so little and often will actually help you by upping your experience and increasing your confidence as a result. There are several ways you can do this. You can go out on your own and drive on roads that you know fairly well during the day with several types of junctions, road markings, and lighting systems so that you get used to dealing with situations where you need to make a decision. Or you can go out with a far more experienced driver who will guide you and remind you as to the basics of all good nighttime driving.

9. Driving at Night Tilt Your Mirror

This is a small tip, but it can make a big difference. To stop yourself from being dazzled and therefore distracted on the road, if not almost blinded, it’s a good idea to change the angle of your mirror when you get into your car at night. This means you will prevent yourself from having lights shone into your eyes from behind. Additionally, it is a good tip never to look into the headlights of other cars directly. In doing so, you will make it difficult for your eyes to adjust to what is actually going on around you which is what you need to stay safe on the road.