How to drive safely in the dark

Follow these handy tips when driving at night It may be surprising to learn that fewer accidents happen at night than during the day. This is mainly because there are fewer cars on the road and thus less traffic. However, the proportion and severity of injuries are higher.

Keep these tips in mind:

Reduced visibility

If you’ve been in a brightly lit space, it can take up to 30 minutes for your eyes to adjust to the dark – just to achieve about 80% of your vision’s efficiency. In fact, it can take up to an hour before you achieve optimal night vision. Try to avoid challenging night drives or allow your eyes to adjust in a dimly lit room before venturing out on a long night drive.

Also, avoid keeping your eyes focused at a single distance, as this could cause eye fatigue. Look around frequently within the full spectrum of the area lit up by your headlights.

Reduce speed

You should always drive within the range of your vision. This means that you should be able to stop within the distance of the road that is lit up by your car’s headlights. Therefore, if you’re travelling with your headlights dipped, adjust your speed accordingly.

Headlights may also need to be adjusted if the car is heavily loaded. With passengers in the back seat and a boot full of luggage, the beam could be shining into the eyes of oncoming drivers. It could also mean the headlights are not lighting the road ahead optimally.

Fog and mist

can cause seriously hazardous driving conditions. If the conditions are severe, pull off the road at a filling station or other safe place.

If you cannot pull over or are unable to see the road markings clearly, follow another vehicle’s taillights – provided you maintain a safe following distance. Another option is open your window to improve your hearing, as this can warn you of other vehicles on the road.

And don’t forget to operate the demister so that you can avoid the added challenge of mist on the inside of the windscreen. Keep a soft cloth in the cubbyhole to clean the windscreen.

No matter how careful we may be and how many precautions we take, we can only relax and have total peace of mind if we have professional . Make sure you choose an insurer that also offers an that will rush to your rescue in times of need.

With these tips in mind, we wish you many happy kilometres of travel. Or, as they say in the classics: ‘Miles of smiles!’

This article was paid for by MiWay.