Driving at night isn’t ideal for most drivers; the insufficient light creates poor driving conditions, deterring even the most confident driver from making long journeys in the dark. Despite our hesitations, it’s unavoidable to drive in the evening, and we need to adjust our driving style to suit the hazardous conditions, and to avoid accidents. In this article, we share with you our night driving tips, outlining the best ways to stay visible at night and increase your confidence in harder conditions. Here are 4 tips to avoid a not my fault accident at night.
1. Regular headlight checks
We need to ensure we’re regularly checking our lights for nighttime driving. As some parts of the road don’t have adequate overhead light, only simple reflectors on the lines, we rely heavily on our lights during these times. Much like what we do with our accident replacement vehicles, test your lights regularly, using another person for the process. Checking in advance is critical, so you can easily replace bulbs before the need arises. Broken brake lights are often a significant contributor to not-at-fault accidents, as the person behind can’t adequately gauge the vehicle’s activity or breaking distance in the dark.
2. Clean your windscreen before you drive
Dirt and grime build-up increases on your windscreen quickly throughout the day, and in the sunlight, this doesn’t usually cause many issues. However, at night, the dirt slick can cause distortion and reflections, making it harder to see through to the road ahead. Cleaning applies to both the inside and outside and utilising a glass specific cleaner will help.
3. Keep your distance
Night driving can test even the most confident driver, so it’s best to give space to everyone around you on the road. It’s easy to become reliant on the light of other cars at night, and we can experience the need to stay close to them on the drive. However, this proximity can easily lead to accidents; these may be major collisions or unavoidable not-at-fault accidents. Cars are less likely to see you on the road at night, despite utilising your headlights; therefore, it’s best to stay out of blind spots, or making erratic lane changes close to cars.
4. Watch out for pedestrians
It’s unwise to assume pedestrians won’t be out at night; at any time, pedestrians can enter the road, and it’s nearly impossible to see them in the dark. Through built-up areas, it’s imperative you avoid speed, taking caution around crosswalks, speed humps and intersections of roads where people are likely to cross. Pedestrians don’t need to wear reflectors like cyclists, so the accident prevention lies primarily with you as the driver.
