Loading

How to drive safely in the Dark?

June 22, 2021 Car Safety

Report shows that most of the accidents occur during the night as it’s dark and difficult to see. Thus, it is
very important to ensure that you’re taking all the steps to drive safely to protect yourself and others who
are also driving. A few steps you can take to ensure that are:

Use your lights properly

It is very important to check that your headlights and rear lights are working property, actually it is illegal
to drive with broken or tainted so make sure that you get regular check ups to know that they’re working
in full order.

If during the check or overall any bulb needs to be changed then do it before any police car stops you, it
will save you from a big hassle and also save time.

Use your lights properly so that you don’t disturb anyone else on the road too. When you’re driving in an
unlit road then turn your full beam on and if another vehicle comes by then dim them so that you don’t
dazzle them too.

Don’t stare at oncoming vehicles

If you directly sare into the headlights of other cars then it will temporarily impair your vision, this could
prevent you from being able to see properly and cause you to panic and get into an accident.

Looking to the right and left of the road would prevent you from getting dazzled. Also follow the white line
on the road so you know you’re driving on track. At times, it happens that you can’t see anything due to
the glare, so best is you stop on the side of the road but ofcourse not suddenly or else the car behind
you would bump into you.

Keep windows clean

Especially in the cold weather, condensation builds up on the inner side of the windows due to which it
could hinder proper visibility. Not only this, if your windscreen, side mirrors are dirty, it could also cause
you trouble whilst driving. When there is a hazy film on the windscreen, it can also increase the glare
from the lights of the oncoming cars.

Get an eye check up

Driving in the daytime and night time is completely different. During the night the light levels are
constantly changing, reducing. Adjusting to it can be difficult especially when you’ve an eye sight

problem.
A while ago night driving glasses were invited, claiming to help whilst driving at night however there’s no
given proof for that and some even say that yellow tint of the glasses reduce visibility.

Thus, it is important to get your eyesight checked on time so that if there’s any problem with your vision,
you can wear correct eyesight glasses so that driving could get easier. Anti-reflection lenses actually
reduce glare.

Don’t get behind the wheel when tired

It is very important to make sure that you’ve had enough sleep before going on a drive or else due to lack
of sleep your melatonin levels could get high, and then you’d have anmore bleary-eyed increasing the
risk of accidents.

Driving while feeling drowsy or sleepy can you put you and other drivers in danger just as drink-driving
would. Thus, if you feel sleepy make sure you stop somewhere rest for a while before driving again.

If you’re about to go on a long drive or journey especially if it involves night driving then sleep properly,
have a good amount of hours of sleep. Rest after some hours when on journey and have coffee or other
caffeinated drinks to keep yourself alert.

Hone your night driving skills

If you’re a beginner at driving or have less experience of night-time driving then it is important that you
practice more often and take more classes from your instructors during the night.
If you have learned to drive during the summer then practice driving at night before the winter arrives
because driving during the winters that too at night is difficult.

Look out for children, cyclists, and animals

It is difficult to see children, cyclists and animals during the night time so take extra care and drive slowly
when you’re driving around houses or schools so that if anything comes in front of you, you’ve time to
react and you don’t end up injuring anyone.

What to carry during the night?

Carry a torch so that if your car breaks down during the night then you can inspect your cars engine or
tyre easily.

Always keep a blanket or warm clothing in the boot so that if you get stranded somewhere in the
middle of the night and its cold, you’ve something to keep you warm till assistance arrives.

Keep a mobile charger so that you can charge your phone in case of emergencies.

Carry a de-icer so that if it snows unexpectedly you can scrape the windows off.

ecs-logo

All car work is carried out by experienced fully qualified and insured technicians. Most car parts carry a minimum guarantee of 12 months or 12,000 miles (excludes normal wear and tear). Getting your Car repaired at ECS is simple, book an online appointment, confirm your services, and get your car done.

0131 453 3121

info@edinburghcarservices.com

Edinburgh Car Services Unit 7 33 Bankhead terrace Edinburgh Midlothian EH11 4DY

Twitter Timeline