DriveWise - Driving at Night

Tips to keep drivers safe on the road at night 

KATE WELLS 

The days are shorter and nights are 

longer which means it’s time for 

motorists to change their driving 

behaviours. 

Driving at night can be a challenge 

for all drivers. It means you can’t 

see as well or judge situations that 

might come up as efficiently. 

Here are some tips to help you to 

be a safer nighttime driver: 

• Don’t drive if you are feeling 

drowsy – Many crashes happen 

because the driver is tired. In 

fact, studies show almost 16 per 

cent of collisions were caused by 

sleepiness. Pull over if you are 

feeling too tired to drive, or don’t 

get in the vehicle at all. 

• Use your headlights –  

Low-beam headlights will usually 

shine a path in front of you up to 

30 metres. High beams increase 

that to 100 metres. Make sure 

you dim your headlights when a 

vehicle is within 150 metres of you 

so you don’t blind the other driver. 

• Never over drive your 

headlights – This means you are 

driving too fast for what your 

headlights cover on the road, 

making it more difficult to stop in 

time. 

• Move your eyes – Scan all 

intersections carefully, watching 

out for pedestrians and other road 

users who might not be prepared 

for being seen on the road. 

Slow down when approaching 

crosswalks and areas where 

pedestrians would be. 

• Increase the distance between 

your vehicle and the vehicle in 

front of you – This allows for 

extra time and space if you need to 

react to a situation up ahead. Give 

yourself an escape route all around 

your vehicle so if an emergency 

situation happens, you have 

somewhere to go. 

• Keep windows, mirrors, 

headlights and tail lights clean 

and free from debris –  

Being able to see properly is 

extremely important when driving 

at night. 

Many people are not comfortable 

driving at night. If that’s you, hang 

up your keys and limit driving to 

daytime hours only. 

Then, plan ahead so you don’t 

find yourself unexpectedly stuck 

driving at night when you are not 

experienced at it. Follow these 

tips and we will all be safer on 

the roads! 

Posted October 28th, 2010 by Kate Wells