Driving at night is something that every single one of us has done during our driving career – and likely, it’s something we’ve done often. I don’t particularly mind driving at night; to me, it’s a time when the roads are at their clearest, and I enjoy having the road spread out in front of me during this time. However, not everyone is weird like me, and some probably have a lot of trouble driving at night. It’s understandable; there’s a lack of light, your night vision may not be the best, and you may be fatigued after a hard day of work, school, or other daytime activities.
If you’re one of the many who don’t enjoy driving at night like I do, then you’re in luck; in this article we’ll be going over some safe nighttime driving tips to help you when you’re caught driving during the late hours of the day, and how to function as a nighttime driver like a pro.
Headlights
It’s probably obvious to the majority of you that light during the dark helps you see. This is true, but maintaining your headlights properly isn’t quite as obvious a necessity, but it’s essential to night driving. Make sure your headlights are always in working condition to ensure you never get stuck with a single headlight while out on the road, and make sure the covers for them are clean to ensure you get the best lighting possible out of them so you can see your surroundings.
Dim Your Dashboard
Some vehicles automatically dim your dashboard when your headlights are fully turned on, but for those with vehicles that don’t have this function, dimming your headlights will help tremendously with your ability to see while driving at night. This is because these inside lights can make seeing in the dark more difficult, even if you have your headlights on, so dimming them can really help your ability to see.
Stay Alert
Many traffic accidents and deaths happen at night. This is due to many things, such as the limited sight ability, but is also due to the fact that people are typically driving when they should be asleep, and aren’t operating at full capacity. Fatigue not only reduces your reaction time, but can also cause you to fall asleep at the wheel, and I shouldn’t have to tell you why that’s extremely dangerous. If you’re working at night or planning a long trip, your best bet is to get adequate sleep beforehand, and take someone with you who can take over the wheel for a bit if you’re feeling tired. If this isn’t an option, you can either get a hotel room for the night when you’re feeling tired, or stop somewhere safe (not the side of the road) to take a quick nap before continuing. It’s always better to be safe than sorry, and a loss of attention at the wheel can make you very, very sorry.
Wear Proper Glasses
This is not to say you should be wearing sunglasses or anything of the sort at night. Even if the headlights from the drivers on the other side of the road are bright, you shouldn’t be wearing anything that will further compromise your vision. Ever. This is referring to those of us that wear prescription glasses. If you, like me, require lenses to see properly, then making sure your glasses have an anti-reflective coating on the lens will save you a lot of trouble. This is because these lenses keep light from bouncing off the lenses and in front of your eyes, keeping the reflection you see on normal lenses due to light way down, and your visibility where it should be.
Keep An Eye Out For Eyes
This is particularly necessary if you live in the country or take a lot of back roads, because animals are everywhere, and there’s no way to predict when one will decide to scurry out onto the road. The one way to detect one is to look out for their retinas, which will reflect the light from your headlights and alert you to their presence long before you actually spot the animal itself. This can be tricky to identify at first, but will look like a pair of tiny bright spots, and are a great indicator that you should slow down and keep an eye out for them.
Keep Your Mirrors Clean
This is more for your exterior mirrors than the interior ones, but a clean mirror is the best type of mirror to have. A dirty mirror will distort any reflected lights and cause more of a glare than a clean mirror will. You’ll also want to angle them in such a way that the light from vehicles will not be reflected directly into your eyes to impair your vision; this can be done by angling them down ever so slightly so you can still see the other cars by moving your head forward slightly, but won’t become blinded by the light.
Never Drive Impaired
I don’t care if you’re at a party, there’s nowhere to sleep, and you really, really want to be in the comfort of your own home and in your own bed – you should never, ever get behind the wheel if you’re even slightly impaired. Just don’t do it. Your vision and, as a result, reaction time is already compromised while you’re driving in the dark, and adding intoxication of any kind to it is simply a recipe for disaster. And that isn’t to say you can drive impaired during the day, either – you should never drive while impaired. Ever. Just don’t. You’ll be happier, and so will all the other drivers on the road, because you’ll all be alive.