What are tips for driving at night?

Todd

The National Safety Council recommends these steps:

* Prepare your car for night driving. Keep headlights, tail lights, signal lights and windows (inside and out) clean.

* Have your headlights properly aimed. Mis-aimed headlights blind other drivers and reduce your ability to see the road.

* Don't drink and drive. Not only does alcohol severely impair your driving ability, it also acts as a depressant. Just one drink can induce fatigue.

* Avoid smoking when you drive. Smoke's nicotine and carbon monoxide hamper night vision.

* If there is any doubt, turn your headlights on. Lights will not help you see better in early twilight, but they'll make it easier for other drivers to see you. Being seen is as important as seeing.

* Reduce your speed and increase your following distances. It is more difficult to judge other vehicle's speeds and distances at night.

* Don't overdrive your headlights. You should be able to stop inside the illuminated area. If you're not, you are creating a blind crash area in front of your vehicle.

* When following another vehicle, keep your headlights on low beams so you don't blind the driver ahead of you.

* If an oncoming vehicle doesn't lower beams from high to low, avoid glare by watching the right edge of the road and using it as a steering guide.

* Make frequent stops for light snacks and exercise. If you're too tired to drive, stop and get rest.

* If you have car trouble, pull off the road as far as possible. Warn approaching traffic at once by setting up reflecting triangles near your vehicle and 300 feet behind it. Turn on flashers and the dome light. Stay off the roadway and get passengers away from the area.

Observe night driving safety as soon as the sun goes down. Twilight is one of the most difficult times to drive, because your eyes are constantly changing to adapt to the growing darkness.

italy_coolfun

Never look at the oncoming headlights. Your eyes will never adjust for the night quick enough. Adjust your mirror so it doesn't blind you from behind. As far as when cars are coming at you with their headlights, always focus your eyes at the fog line to the right of the road. not directly looking at the headlamps. This will allow you to keep focus and eyes adjusted for the night.

Ricky

same here. im a pretty new driver. and i got my license in june. so i just took my car out by myself at night to some small roads and practiced. i find it easier if you don't look at the cars directly. about the guy behind you, turn your rear view mirror in a diff direction or buy an autodimming mirror. and get it installed. take it slower at night, drive in the slow lane.

David

turn your lights on.. maybe wear sunglasses at night? if the light is bothering you.. dont look straight into the other cars lights.. try to look in the right corner of your own lane

bobweb

As you get older, you may need driving glasses. It makes a big difference in dim lighting conditions. See your opthalmologist eye doctor.

andy

NEVER look at the head lights of on coming vehicles NEVER
you can adjust inside mirror for the night use
just press or pull that little handle on the mirror
you will be fine
happy night driving

Melissa K

See your opthalmologist (eye doctor) if you have one.

hmm?

actually look all ways and see your precautions.
the road must be shared.
relax and dont stress much if you do this may cause an accident.

UCANTCME

1. Be sure your clean your windows, tail lights, head lights and mirrors before driving. Trying to drive with fogged, iced or snowy windows is a hazard.

2. Decrease your speed and increase your following distance. Driving at night relies on visual perceptions. Due to the darkness vision is affected in a negative way, compensate for this by allowing more time to stop and decreasing overall speed.

3. Use your low beams when encountering another vehicle. If they do not adjust their head lights avoid the glare by looking to the right side of the road and not into their lights.

4. Stop frequently for snacks and light excersise to avoid fatigue and sleeping at the wheel. Drowsiness impeds concetration and reaction time.

5. Don't drink and drive!

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