Regardless of how experienced you are as a driver, you need to exercise extra caution when driving at night. This is because it is challenging to see other drivers, wildlife, curves, bumps, and road signs at night. Other factors such as fatigue and alcohol use can also make night driving a challenge. So you are more likely to get into an accident at night than during the day. A lot of new and experienced drivers opt to refresh their skills with a driver training course. However, you can significantly reduce your likelihood of getting into an accident at night by following the tips below.
Put on your headlights
Immediately it becomes a little bit dark, you should put on your headlights. By putting on your headlights, you will increase your visibility and alert other motorists of your presence. Use high beam headlights on highways as they light up a path of about 100 meters in contrast to low beams that only reach about 30 meters ahead. However, you should always remember to dim your high beam headlights the moment you see an oncoming vehicle so as not to affect the visibility of oncoming drivers.
Be mindful of other road users
When driving at night, you should be mindful of other road users. So don’t speed unless it is absolutely necessary for you to do so (it usually isn’t). Speeding reduces your control and this could result in you harming other road users. Also be on the lookout for wildlife, pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists. While it might be somewhat easy to spot other motorists because of the lights coming from their vehicles, it is usually difficult to spot wildlife and pedestrians so watch out for them when driving in the dark.
Don’t drink and drive
This is pretty obvious but everyone has to be reminded every now and then. Drinking alcohol affects your decision making, your senses, and your reaction time. All these can make you cause a bad accident that could take your own life or that of someone else. So don’t drink and drive especially at night. Plan your trip if you are a commercial truck driver If you need to travel a long distance, make sure you plan your trip well. And most importantly, make sure you sleep when you need to and that you rest after every 4 or 5 hours of driving. Because if you do not sleep regularly and rest frequently, your head will be affected and you will be more likely to cause accidents at night. By following these tips, you can considerably reduce your chances of getting into an accident when driving at night.
