If you ask them, most people are going to say that they prefer driving during the day, and night driving is something they do because they have to, not because they want to. And this makes sense; visibility is much lower at night, plus there is more chance that they, and other road users, are tired because it’s later in the day, and this can cause a large number of accidents on its own. Driving at night comes with a wide range of hazards, but if you’re prepared for them and understand how to be safer when driving at night, you can prevent accidents as much as possible. Read on to find out more.

Photo by Pascal Frei on Unsplash

Check Your Headlamps

Most of the time, you’ll be getting into your car or onto your motorcycle, and never actually look at the headlights on your vehicle. You’ll see that they’re on, and that’s the extent of things. However, it’s a good idea to stand in front of your car or bike before you set off to have a better look at your headlamps. Even if you don’t do this for every journey, doing it at least once a week is good practice.

You might find that, when you really take a good look at your headlamps, they’re not pointing in the direction they should be. Realigning them will help you to see the road ahead much more clearly, and it will help other road users see you better too. As well as this, cleaning your headlamps before you set off will also make the road easier to see; just use a soft cloth to wipe them and the difference will be immediate.

Make Yourself Seen

Although you might not think that making yourself especially visible when you’re driving your car is entirely necessary, having some form of reflective clothing in the car with you is a crucial way of staying safe when driving at night. If you were to break down or need to change a tyre by the side of a dark road, wearing a reflective jacket or vest could be the difference between getting home safely or having an accident because no one saw you in the road.

When it comes to riding a motorcycle, wearing reflective items at night is vital. If you have a dark bike and you’re wearing dark clothes on a dark road, it’s going to be much more difficult for any other road user to see you, and an accident could happen that will mean you need to engage reliable motorcycle accident attorneys because your recovery time is long and you can’t work. To keep yourself safe, wear high-vis clothing. It might not be ‘cool’, but it’s safe.

Don’t Stare At Oncoming Lights

If you’ve ever driven at night, you will know that the oncoming headlights from other vehicles can be dazzling, especially if the driver is using their high beams and has forgotten to dim them when you’re heading towards them.Not being able to see because of the blinding headlights of another car is extremely dangerous, but there are some things you can do when this happens. Firstly, don’t look directly at the light; instead, look to the side, keeping the headlamp in your peripheral vision (although don’t actually turn your head, as this will also be dangerous). Another option is to invest in some night driving glasses that help to cut the glare.