Driving at night can at times be more challenging than driving during the day, but why? Well one of the biggest issues associated with driving at night is reduced visibility. Your vision and visibility becomes limited to the distance which is illuminated by your vehicle headlights, and you also don't have the advantage of colour contrast that you have during the day.
Predicting risks and hazards at night become more difficult- such as that pedestrian who seems to be completely out of it and going for a run and that dog that seems to be chasing him down the street for disturbing his sleep. Often such hazards are to the sides of the illuminated path created by your headlights and you don't see them until you become extremely close to them. For this reason it is always a good idea to increase your crash avoidance space and reduce speed if necessary during the night.
Here are some tips to ease the stress of night driving:
Make sure all your lights and indicators are in working condition before deciding to drive (front headlights and high beam lights, rear light and brake lights and your indicators).
If you are driving an unfamiliar car take a few minutes to learn how to turn the lights on and how to use other functions such as high beam light and indicators.
Avoid using high beam when its foggy. They can reduce your visibility and blind other drivers on the road.
You should make sure that your mirrors are properly aligned to reduce blind spots and glare from other vehicles behind you
Increase your crash avoidance space so you have safely identify hazards and respond promptly.
Driving at night requires more concentration. to prevent fatigue, take more frequent breaks to rest your eyes and recover.
