Driving at night can be daunting, especially for a novice driver. A bit of tricks and a bit of experience will help ease your anxiety and keep you and other drivers safe.
Steps
Step 1. Take all precautions you use when driving in daylight
Buckle up your seat belt, adjust your seat and mirrors, put on your headphones (or at least put away your cell phone), pick a radio station and take a few deep breaths. The deep breaths will help you relax while driving under pressure. You always know on the alert.
Step 2. Learn the tricks
If a car with high beams on is approaching, what do you do? The answer is to glance to the right side of the lane (or left if you're in the UK) while keeping your peripheral vision alert for any danger. Tips of this kind can be found in most driving manuals. Read them from top to bottom carefully and memorize them. Keep a copy of the driving manual or information booklet in the glove compartment for reference if you lose confidence.
Step 3. Relax
The worst thing you can do is get upset. Keep breathing deeply if you feel anxious, keep your mind clear by taking a look at the landscape and reading all the signs on the road.
Step 4. Obey the speed limits
By going to the limit and not faster, you will have time to maneuver if you need it. The faster you travel, the less time you will have to react to the situation. By keeping your speed at the limit and constant, you will reduce the risk of having an accident.
Step 5. Make sure the headlights and dashboard lights are on when you are driving at night so that you can see the road as well as all the instruments
However, in many places it is the law that obliges you to do this. Use the high beams only if you are traveling in a rural area and turn them off if you approach traffic or a hill to avoid blinding other drivers.
Advice
- Check all the lights on your vehicle periodically, especially in the winter months, which is when you will be driving more in the hours after sunset. To make the process easier, you can take turns with a friend to turn the lights on while you watch if they all turn on, or you can watch your reflection in the shop windows of a glass-fronted building.
- Refuse to think about distractions while driving, but don't focus solely on the road. Doing so could put you in a state of hypnosis and you may have a blank mind for a moment. Keep moving your eyes around the car and the landscape.
- Put the rearview mirror in anti-glare mode to reduce the light from the taillights.
- Keep your windshield and headlights clean.
- If you are concerned about limited vision at night, get a pair of sunglasses with yellow or bright orange lenses. Wearing them at night will make objects appear brighter.
Warnings
- Always wear a seat belt and encourage your passengers to do the same.
- Don't drive drunk.
- Don't drive when tired. In many countries, driving without sleep counts as being drunk behind the wheel. Regardless of the law, it is dangerous.
