Night time driving adds additional challenges to those you face driving during the day. Learning how to safely drive at night reduces your chances of being in an accident and keeps you and other drivers safe. Follow these driving at night tips listed below:
- Slow down: Driving at night limits your visibility and therefore your reaction time. Slowing down and leaving at least a three second gap between you and the car in front of you reduces the chance of a collision. Additionally, avoid tailgating other motorists.
- Use your headlights: Turn your lights on when it begins to get dark. You’ll want to ensure your headlights are pointed correctly. If your lights are pointed too low or are uneven, you may not see obstacles or other motorists.
- Dim dash lights: Light from your instrument panel or dash can be distracting and limit your visibility. Dimming them will help your eyes better adjust to darkness. Avoid using your dome light as well.
- Wear the right glasses: Certain glasses can impair your night time visibility. Search for glasses that have an anti-reflective coating. This will stop additional light from entering and reflecting on your glasses, which can impair your visibility.
- Avoid staring at oncoming lights: It’s easy to get distracted by other motorists’ lights or street lights. Avoid looking into oncoming lights as they can leave you momentarily blind. Consider tilting your rearview mirror down or investing in night glare glasses to avoid being blinded by outside light.
- Keep your eyes moving: Constantly moving your eyes helps keep you alert. Scan behind you and to the side to check for other motorists or pedestrians. Be looking for animals as well. You can often catch animals’ retina catching the light of your headlights a few feet away. This gives you more time to react or stop should they bolt in front of your vehicle.
- Turn on your brights: Use your brights to illuminate especially dark roads. However, turn your brights off when you see an oncoming car or are driving behind another car. Your brights can impair other motorists’ vision and increase your chance of an accident.
- Maintain your vehicle: Keep your windows, windshield wipers, and lights clean and working correctly. This ensures you have complete visibility in the dark or bad weather.
- Keep distractions to a minimum: Put your phone away, keep music low, and avoid being distracted by passengers. Eliminating these distractions keeps you alert and safe.
Source: http://www.cdl.com