Basic Safety Tips For Driving At Night

Traveling at night presents us with very different challenges compared to those faced during the day; we eliminate the benefit of colour, contrast, peripheral vision and depth perception, making journeys far more dangerous. Not only is it more difficult for all of us to spot hazards, it's also harder for others to spot you. Traffic death rates are three times greater at night than during the day, yet many of us are ignorant of the techniques that may be used to cope with these conditions successfully.

* Make sure that all your exterior automobile lights work properly before setting off on any journey.

* Keep your front lights and windows clean; dirty front lights can decrease efficiency by as much as 90%, while dirty windows may increase glare, which makes it more difficult to see.

* Switch your lights on 1 hour before sunset and keep them on as a minimum 1 hour after sunrise. This makes it easier for other drivers to see you in the twilight and dawn light.

* Keep your eyes open for pedestrians, bike riders and motorcycle riders, particularly those who are not wearing bright clothes or do not have lights. You ought to take extra care when driving past cinemas, theatres, clubs and pubs - particularly at closing time.

* Make sure that you drive at a speed that allows you to stop inside the distance you can see. Driving quickly at night time is much more dangerous than in the daytime due to reduced visibility; always make sure that you have plenty of time to stop when you see something dangerous on the highway ahead.

* While driving, keep looking for flashes or beams of light at curves, hilltops and junctions which may reveal the headlights of another vehicle coming towards you.

* Always use your dipped headlights when driving in urban areas. You can use your full beams on other roads, but you must remember to dip them when there is someone in front of you or coming towards you.

* Avoid flashing your full beams at a driver who's coming towards you with their full beams on; it will only raise the risk that the two of you will not be able to see.

* If you're dazzled by the lights of an oncoming driver, decelerate and glance down to the nearside of the street to the kerb or the line marking the outside edge of the traffic lane. If you're dazzled by the lights of a vehicle driving behind you, alter your rear view mirror to cut out as much of the light as possible.

* Raise the distance that you would typically keep between your car and the car ahead; allowing a 4-5 second gap will give you more chance to spot potential problems plus more time to respond.

* Night driving is usually quite tiring, so make certain you have plenty of breaks to allow your eyes time to recover. Have a short nap or even a brisk walk, or have some caffeine to help you stay alert.