Driving at Night: Safety Tips, Common Issues, Aspects to Take Care

In case you have spent a lot of time driving at night and have already learned all the safety tips and tricks, it may be possible that you already know them all. But unfortunately, if you had just received your driver’s license then driving at night might get a bit of an issue for you.

If asking for my personal recommendation, I would suggest not to take those unusual risks; because having a long drive through a dark night can cause numerous issues, which might result in life losses and not to mention the damage to the properties.

Driving at Night: Safety Tips

Those who have just passed their test should not keep putting off the day when they first drive in darkness since driving at night is an important part of motoring for most people. The rules of night driving are no different from those that apply to handling a car safe during the day.

The nighttime drive can be less stressful and reduce your journey time when traffic thins out: it can reduce the time it takes to get somewhere you need to go. You should also take extra care when driving in the dark, especially when you are tired, especially when you are in the long run. 

Issues We Most Probably Face while Driving at Night

Possible issues a driver has to face while having a long drive at night time:-

Having drowsiness while driving at night

Driving at night can lead to drowsiness, one of the biggest problems. Sleepless nights or extended hours at work may cause this issue, especially for people working long hours or night shifts regularly.

In sleep deprivation, the feeling of being drowsy during night driving can be caused by a lack of pleasant and comfortable sleep. Drivers can, however, combat fatigue while driving at night by taking a few simple precautionary measures mentioned below:-

• One of the effective ways to ignore the fatigue circumstances is to start your night early to become accustomed to low-light conditions. As a result, if you set out on your trip while it is still light outside, you gain a better understanding of the surroundings for your mind, body, and most importantly, your eyes. As a result, you will not have problems transitioning to the dark outside when it gets dark after some time.

• Another effective tip to prevent yourself from getting a drowsy feeling while driving is to get a good sleep before starting to drive. Taking a good nap before a nighttime ride is recommended even though it may not be a favorable situation for everyone.

You can maintain energy and focus for extended periods of time if you sleep enough before traveling at night.

You often experience sleep disturbances when switching from day to night shifts. It would normally be your sleep night, but you are on the road making decisions about driving safety. In addition to being drowsy, driving while you would normally be sleeping can make you feel fatigued or drowsy which might lead to some serious collusion.

Visibility issues while driving

It is common for drivers to experience blurred vision when driving at night. A low light condition can make it difficult to notice road signs and lane markings or to notice when you have crested a hill or are approaching a sharp bend. There may be times when you are forced to rely solely on the headlights of your car to stay focused on the road.

At night, no matter how developed the area may be it is not possible that all roads will have adequate lighting around the roads. It is possible to be restricted to only seeing the road by the headlights of your vehicle in some areas. Even though most roads are well-lit during the day, most are not at night so drivers may have to drive depending on their vision, and having poor eyesight might prove their drawbacks.   

The condition of night myopia, also known as nearsightedness, can affect many drivers at night. The vision you have in daylight may be excellent, but however, maybe you are unable to see clearly in low-light conditions, this condition can be fixed with corrective lenses. This or any other vision problem can be confirmed by consulting an optometrist, and they can make appropriate recommendations to assist you in improving your night vision.

Uneven roadways

Those of you who have traveled at night before must have noticed that the conditions are different on different roads if you have traveled at night before. There is a possibility that you may have made a mistake if you have planned to travel on a winter night. Because the roads are slippery in the winter, it will be a challenge for you to maneuver your vehicle due to slippery conditions on the roads. In order to make the most of your driving experience on a winter night, you should plan ahead before you get on the road.

In addition to this, you should avoid two-lane highways at night, because one of the major reasons for this is the issue of visibility, which is also a major reason for you to avoid such roads during the day.

By shining their bright lights into your eyes, the cars on the other side of the highway may hinder your ability to see the road, hence can result in temporary blindness and you might end up hitting someone else. You should choose a safer route at night when traveling where there is not much traffic and where the roads are more or less even.

Driving at uncontrollable speed

It is also possible for you to run into trouble in the case of driving at high speeds at night. A person may be driving at high speed during the night and an animal comes across his path suddenly and there will not be any way for the animal to be saved. As a result, the person is very likely to hit the animal or suffer from a severe collision when the animal passes by.

As a result of low visibility and a short reaction time, the reason for this is that it is much more difficult to react. At night, if you drive at a higher speed than usual, you won’t have time to think or stop before hitting random objects that may be present on the road.

The thing you need to keep in mind is that you have to be extra careful when you are driving at higher speeds. It is therefore recommended to drive slowly at night, especially where the roads are poorly illuminated.

Distraction by high-intensity headlights

High beam headlights on oncoming cars cause distractions while driving at night. It is possible to lose sight of the road ahead due to the bright light coming from your headlight beams, including the direction in which you are traveling and any potential obstacles.  

The oncoming driver needs to know that their high beam headlights are on too long if you quickly flash your high beam headlights to let them know that you are aware of this. The driver does not lower his or her high beam headlights when asked to, and there is no need for you to retaliate by also keeping your high beams on in response.

When driving at night it is your duty you should instead reduce the speed of your vehicle until the vehicle passes you and then ease off the accelerator gently. Sometimes a simple reminder from an oncoming driver can help them remind themselves to turn their high beams off when they leave their high beams on.

Aspects to Take Care of before having a Night Driving

Below are a few aspects of a car to take care of before having a night driving:-

Checking the car lights

Make sure all the lights on your car work, including both the dipped beam and the main beam. A garage with the appropriate equipment should be contacted if you are uncertain about the beam alignment.

You may want to adjust your headlights temporarily if your car is going to travel long distances at night with a heavy load, but make sure they are adjusted back to their normal setting after your journey. Oncoming drivers can be dazzled by your dipped beam if your vehicle’s nose is pointing up a few degrees.

Check the car manufacturer’s manual first to see if your vehicle has a simple device you can use to change the angle of your headlights yourself before requesting an adjustment by other fellow drivers.

Checking the car backlights

Keep an eye on your lights regularly to ensure they are working. The majority of them can be checked by yourself, but for the brake lights, someone else needs to watch them while you press the pedal.

Parking your car close to a wall and braking while looking for the reflected glow will suffice if no one else is available. If you see reflections in the bodywork of cars ahead and behind you as you drive, you can periodically check the lights.

Checking the other auxiliary car lights

In most modern cars, you will find halogen quartz headlights, but if yours are old, and you are unsatisfied with them, you may wish to change them. It is always a good idea to install auxiliary lights, but if you do not replace your inadequate headlights, you will find the contrast between the brilliant auxiliary beam and the feeble-dipped beam even more distressing. 

The Quartz-halogen lights produce a whiter and more powerful beam than ordinary halogen lights. To drive safely at night, you should use auxiliary fog and spotlights, but always make sure that the beam is adjusted correctly.

Moreover, auxiliary lights must be mounted within the dimensions prescribed by the Department of the Environment, because a single beam could be mistaken for a motorcycle. In addition, fog or falling snow conditions are the only conditions in which lights with very low-slung arcs can be used. 

Do not forget to check the warning lights

Many cars have reversing lights which, together with reversing lights, provide valuable illumination while you are reversing. Buying a pair and wiring them to turn on automatically when reverse gear is selected is a good idea if your car does not have them.

At accessory shops, you can also purchase extra brake lights for your rear window. The high location of these brake lights means drivers several cars back in a traffic stream can have an earlier warning when you brake because they are not really necessary given today’s high-intensity brake lights. 

When spotted in the distance through the windows of cars ahead, this type of auxiliary brake light may provide an earlier warning due to its appearance at eye level. However, some drivers find it distracting due to its position at eye level. When you stop at an awkward spot in an emergency, like a hard shoulder on a motorway, all four direction indicators in your car flash simultaneously as a warning, and that is one of the essential things you must ensure before stepping onto a night driving.

Ensure your visibility

As imperative as it is to make sure that the car and the driver are prepared for night driving, it is also paramount to ensure that the driver is prepared as well. The use of spectacles that decrease the amount of dazzle is not a good idea because they can sometimes make it more difficult to see dimly-lit hazards such as pedestrians or parked cars in shadows because they can reduce the amount of light reaching your eyes.  

If you have any vision deficiencies, you should ensure that you have them checked regularly by an optician, since any deficiencies tend to worsen at night. You should check your eyes for night driving purposes to ensure they are properly functioning.

If you are in any doubt about whether your vision is worse during the night than during the day, an optician will be able to prescribe spectacles based on the results of the test.

Verify the air circulation in the car

Despite the fact; you should never reach a state where such extreme measures become necessary in order to stay awake. Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs while fatigued can be as fatal as driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

As a precautionary measure, you can turn down the heater when you feel tired, as a warm fog is exactly what makes your eyes feel heavy, as it is the atmosphere that makes your eyes feel sore and tired and thus creating a visibility error.

The vents of your automobile should be kept open as much as possible to allow fresh, cool air to blow through them; you should have both opposite windows open to allow an invigorating rush of fresh air to flow through them.

Safety Tips You Need to Remember while Driving at Night

We have listed below a few safety techniques while driving at night:-

Remove any obstacles in your windshield

When the wind blows at night, streaks on the windshield may appear which can cause glare. Detailers remove residue from glass by polishing it with newspaper. Make sure you don’t touch the inside surfaces of your windshield, side windows, or mirrors with your hands, even if you’re wiping off the mist.

Any place on the glass where you have touched your skin will produce smears and glare from the oil from your skin. Consider keeping a clean cloth or microfiber cloth in your door pocket instead if somehow the windshield got dirty.

Know the use of the car headlights

There is evidence of uneven headlights or headlights that point lower than they should on new cars. When something is blocking the light, even correctly aimed headlights will cast a dim glow, so check your headlights often for road grime. 

You may have yellowed or faded plastic lens covers on an older car. If your headlights are hazy and don’t shine brightly, then you need to buy a headlight polish kit. Keep in mind that old incandescent bulbs make less light than new ones, so check that they’re generating the same amount of light as they were when new.

When Driving at Night Dim the Dashboard Indicators

Dimmer switches are installed on the dashboards of cars for a reason. An inside vehicle has many unnecessary and distracting sources of lighting, including a bright dashboard, an indicator, and a large screen that can impair vision. When dash lights are dimmed, windows are left free from reflections, and your eyes adjust better to the darkness ahead as a result, making visibility better at night. 

Other interior lights like map lights can also distract from nighttime driving, often casting light throughout the cabin. Not every car is a culprit when it comes to bright map lights luxury cars do a good job with directing such lights but it is best to not use them at all.

Do not drive at a great speed

It is very likely that we all have the tendency to speed our vehicles whenever we are driving at night, but if you reduce your speed and avoid tailgating, and then you are much more likely to arrive at your destination much safer than you would do if you increase your speed. When judging your distance and stopping time, make sure you use your headlights to aid you in doing so.

The five-second rule can be used to gauge the distance between your car and the vehicle in front of you. If the driver in front of you passes a particular area of the roadways in less than five seconds, then it means that you need to slow down. If the driver in front of you passes a particular point in the road in less than five seconds, then that indicates you must slow down.

Avoid getting distracted

In order to stay safe on the road, you must not text, listen to the radio, or eat while in your car, depending on what is happening around you. Distracted driving is becoming more and more dangerous across the country as a result of the hefty fines being issued. A tired body will have a slower reaction time after a long and strenuous work day, so taking your attention off the road for any length of time will not do you any favors.

Don’t drive while consuming drugs or alcohol

Alcohol-related fatal crashes are much more common at night than at any other time of the day, according to statistics. You should not drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs if you want to protect yourself or others. When driving after dark, be conscious of signs of drunk driving and use defensive driving techniques to avoid getting into collisions.

Proper ways to use the lights while driving at night

Here are a few proper tips to use the car lights while driving at night time:-

• Do not wait until the last minute to use the lights, make the most of them sooner rather than later.

• When using your high beams, you should be extremely cautious in order to avoid blinding other drivers.

• You should be very cautious when flashing your lights if an oncoming vehicle does not dim its high beams, as it could possibly blind the driver and cause a serious accident.

• If you decide to remove your high beams and move away quickly from the oncoming vehicle, do not leave them on or return to the vehicle.

• Look left instead of directly at oncoming headlights if the oncoming vehicle does not dim its lights, you can use your peripheral vision instead of looking directly at the oncoming headlights.

• Look rapidly ahead until you determine the position of the vehicle you are passing. Use the lane markers to aid in your navigation.

• It’s important to remember that the lights of oncoming trucks could blind drivers seated much higher than you well before they can see your lights.

• Be aware of the driver in front of you when you follow another vehicle, and make sure your headlights are on a low beam so that you do not blind him or her.

• If the weather is foggy, avoid driving with high beams, and as a result, they may temporarily blind you and others on the road.