Driving at night can be nerve-wracking for some, and for good reason. Road conditions in the dark are different and can be challenging. Read below for the important steps to take to arrive safely at your destination.
Taking the following tips into consideration can ease any worries about hitting the road in the dark.
5 Tips To Tackle Driving in the Dark at Night
1 | Have A Clean View
The level of cleanliness (or dirtiness) of your windshield and headlights may impact your safety on the road, especially at night. Dirty windshields and headlights can scatter light and cast glare, decreasing your visibility. Also, swap out your wipers about every six months because they collect gunk that spreads onto your windshield and limits them from doing their job. While you’re at it, stay up-to-date with other summer road trip maintenance, too.
2 | Use Your Lights
We’ve all had at least one time where we realized we hadn’t turned on our lights while driving at night. If it’s well lit at nighttime, sometimes your auto setting won’t register to turn on your nighttime lights, so it's best to manually turn them on. Dusk is known to be potentially the most dangerous time for driving because the light is changing quickly, and our eyes are adjusting. It’s recommended to turn your nighttime lights on 30 minutes before sunset.
3 | High Beams: Use Them, But Do It Right
When road conditions aren’t great and you can’t see clearly, it’s best to slow down. Your high beams are a big help to increase visibility, too. Turn your high beams on when there are no other vehicles nearby and when you are driving on poorly lit roads, especially backcountry roads. Never use high beams while driving in fog, rain, or snow because it reflects the light back to you, increasing glare and making it even more difficult for you to see.
4 | Don’t Drive If You're Tired
It’s not worth it, so don’t take the risk. You shouldn’t drive if you're tired at any time during the day, but especially during the nighttime, since you have to be on our extra A-game. Take frequent breaks if you have a long way to go and try to avoid planning long road trips late at night altogether. Driver fatigue is a real thing – here are some more things you probably didn’t know about driving while feeling tired.
5| Limit Distractions
Texting and driving is illegal, and starting in January of last year, the government really cracked down on it. Keep your phone out of reach, the music at a reasonable volume and try not to eat a cheeseburger while driving - food is a distraction, too! Here are the top ten deadliest driving distractions.As long as you’re prepared, alert, and aware of your surroundings, you should feel confident to safely drive at night and in the dark.
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