Driving a car requires your full attention. That attention is increased as the sun goes down. Statistics have revealed that forty percent of all collisions happen while it is dark outside. Training to drive a vehicle safely also includes driving at night. These are very important lessons for all drivers on the road. It may be time to improve your night driving skills.
The following will help you learn how to drive safely at night:
Keep Alert
You should not be sending texts on your smartphone whilst driving at any time of the night or day. During the night it is even more important to remain alert and that does not only mean keeping off your phone. It will be more difficult to see pedestrians and cyclists. Also, many animals come out during the night and you will need to be more diligent especially when driving on rural roads.
Use Your Headlights
While it is obvious, that you must have your headlights on to drive at night, should you use them to drive during the day? Getting in the habit of having your headlights on while driving at all times will not give you any issues at night. Just make sure when you are driving at night that your headlights are not on high beams.
Keep Awake
Drivers tend to become drowsy in the evening especially if they have driven all day or finished a long shift at work. If you are planning a long road trip and are going to be driving at night, then you will need to rest during the day. If at any point of the trip you feel drowsy, you should stop and pull over somewhere safe for a short nap. A quick thirty-minute nap can be the boost you needed to complete your journey safely.
Keep Your Windows Clean
You will get more glare from dirty windows than you would during the day which can be a big distraction. This can be the time when you realize that your windshield wipers need to be replaced or that you have not topped up your windshield wiper fluid. Dirty windows can also steam up much quicker during extreme temperatures.
Tilt Your Rearview Mirror
While you may be careful when you put on your high beams not all motorists will be. They can distract you when their high beams hit your rearview mirror. A small tilting at night of the mirror can help to prevent the lights shining into your eyes. That’s something you need to avoid while driving at night.
Keep a Safe Braking Distance
It is much easier to see further along a road during the day than it is at night. This is why you need to maintain a safe braking distance, between you and the vehicle in front. They could be stopping quickly because they have seen something ahead that you cannot. Maintaining a safe braking distance can help avoid putting the driver in front of you under pressure. How often have you felt threatened by another driver driving too close to you?
