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Night Driving Tips for Ensuring Safety In the Dark

ByMatsumoto Naoki-February 05, 2021

The driving skill mostly relies on your sight, keen observation, and your ability to respond quickly to various road situations. However, the vision does not fully work during the nighttime the way it does in the day. So, night driving tips can help both rookie and veteran drivers.

Road Safety 101: Night Driving Tips

Driving in the dark is dangerous because almost 49% of all the fatal car accidents occur after the sun sets down. The rate is pretty high considering that only 15% of the vehicles hit the road during the period between 7 pm and 7 am.
How do you stay safe if you must go out with your car in the dark? Let’s find out how to drive at night:

#1. Be Sharp with Your Senses

You need to be alert and concentrate on the road only while driving in the dark because it dims our peripheral vision and affects the ability of depth perception. So, you should not, by any means, hit the road after drinking alcohol or taking medication that makes you feel drowsy.

Avoid prior sleep deprivation before hitting the road at night. (photo source: sunemotion/Getty Images)

#2. Avoid the Sleep Attacks

You cannot afford feeling sleepy when you are behind the driving wheel and it’s a long drive. Don’t start your journey just after partying all night or with prior sleep deprivation.

Coffee or other caffeinated drinks and taking occasional breaks can steer off the drowsiness. If you have company, share driving duties and make conversations to stay awake. If you are alone, listen to podcasts or a radio program to keep the mind busy.

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#3. Align the Headlights

Uneven or misaligned headlights can create two problems – casting dim glow so you don’t see the road clearly or blinding the driver of an oncoming car. Both the scenarios are dangerous and you can avoid them by checking the headlight alignment before making a trip.

#4. Dim the Interior Lights

Concentration is the key when driving in a hostile condition. So, you should dim all the dashboard and instrument panel lights lest these become distracting and compromise your forward vision.

The windshield should be clean so that it doesn’t block vision. (photo source: Michigan Auto Law)

#5. Keep the Windshield Clean

Dirty windshield blocks the vision and streaks on it can cause glare at night. Both are dangerous and can lead to fatal accidents. What you should do is to keep it clean and not to touch the internal surface with your bare hands. If it appears murky and you don’t have anything to wipe out the dirt, polish the glass with newspaper to remove the sand, dirt, and oil residue. Always try to keep two or three microfiber towels for the cleaning purpose.

#6. Be Alert of the Wildlife Encounter

It’s one of the most important night driving tips for those who drive on country roads. Many accidents happen when drivers suddenly see an animal on the road and blindly steer the car in a direction to avoid the collision. Remember that animal’s eyes reflect the headlights of your car. So, watch out for a pair of tiny bright spots in the distance.

#7. Clearly Known The Road and Route

Before trip departing at night, with new roads, drivers should know clearly the route to avoid the wrong way. Since it is very limited visibility, it is very difficult to observe the signs. Most car models are equipped with navigation systems, driving directions should use this function to choose the appropriate direction of travelling.

Drivers should clearly known the road and route (photo source: Noeltock)

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Matsumoto Naoki is senior car blogger at Car From Japan. Having background in mechanical engineering, he has a unique perspective on a lot of new car innovations. Prior to Car From Japan, Matsumoto was Mechanical Design Engineer at Yajima Plant, Subaru Corporation. His articles provide detailed DIY instructions and how-tos to help you get your new car on the road. If you want to save money and feel more confident when working on your cars, you should not ignore Matsumoto’s sharing posts. He presents driving tips and tricks for everyone through easy-following steps and mechanically but friendly writing.

Comments

John S M05:02 November 29, 2017
Reply

Additional to central white continuous line is the yellow line on the left shoulder.

Frankie s.05:57 February 03, 2021
Reply

ok

Phaustine02:16 November 29, 2017
Reply

Hi, my interest was drown to your night driving tips, most are obvious that one easily assume are of no importance but very very important. I feel you left out one important aspect. I Kenya we drive right hand driven cars on the left side Of the road, and I find it the most ideal and natural way to drive. Whenever I find myself forced to do so at night, most drivers would find it difficult to drive at night due to oncoming car’s careless or uncaring driver’s blinding flash lights. The trick, drive while watching the white continuos line that marks the, assuming it’s a single lane country road and that you more careful a bout light usage, you are sure not hit someone. Any driver moving in the opposite direction is not likely to hit you if doing the same thing. In an iventuality that someone hits you, it will him on the wrong. You may have mentioned this elsewhere here, but I thought it right to do so for road users. Thanks.

Omondi David05:25 November 29, 2017
Reply

This trick also helps you not to look directly at the glare of on coming headlights which make your eye pupils to constrict. Upon bypassing each other you are left in a dark “void” for a while before your pupils readjust to the condition of no glare. Turning your eyes away by focusing towards the edge of the road helps to keep your pupils somewhat dilated.