Safety Tips for Night Driving

If you decide to drive at night, keep some important safety tips in mind.

Night driving doesn’t come highly recommended, but it can be a good option for anyone who operates better at night or hopes to avoid heavy traffic, especially if they need to drive through a highly populated city. Driving in the darkness of night does come with its own set of perils, though. If you need to drive through the night—or even if you simply prefer it—it’s important to keep some critical safety tips in mind for the best experience when night driving.

Don’t Drive Drowsy

Some people are more awake at night and will actually have an easier time driving during the later hours of the day. However, this isn’t true for everyone and if you need to drive through the night when you’re not a night owl then you need to make sure you’re well-rested beforehand. If at any point you start to struggle with drowsiness, pull over and get some rest. Driving while tired is dangerous, so don’t push yourself past your limit.

Slow Down

The night has the distinct issue of providing lower visibility—a problem that is especially prevalent on unlit areas of highways and roads. This lower visibility means you have a lot less time to respond to problems such as other drivers or wildlife. To give yourself as much time as possible, drive a little bit slower. Don’t go past the speed limit, and slow down if you ever feel like you wouldn’t have enough time to respond if something were to happen. It can be frustrating to slow down when you’re on the clock, but you’ll lose a lot more time if your truck ends up in an accident.

Maximize Your Vision

Try to keep your sight as clear and sharp as possible. There are a few things you can do to help with this:

• Corrective Lenses: Wear them if you have any, even if you normally don’t need them to drive. Sharpening your sight, even just a little, can make a big difference in your vision and response time.
• Dashboard Lights: Dim your dashboard lights. These can be distracting and create a glare in your vision while driving at night, so keep them at a point where you can easily read them but they’re not inhibiting your sight of the road.
• Distractions: Keep distractions to a minimum. You need both eyes on the road at night, so avoid checking your phone or looking at any oncoming traffic. The bright lights can disrupt your vision for several seconds, leaving you vulnerable until your vision readjusts to the dark. Looking at too much light for too long while in the dark can actually make your eyes tired, making it more difficult for you to keep them focused and open.

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