Driving at Night

When driving at night your ability to see ahead, and the ability of other road users to see you, is reduced.

Most urban roads have street lighting. Move away from a town centre and you will find that the majority of roads have no lighting other than cats eyes - reflective studs which mark the centre of the road.  Rural roads may also have marker posts with red reflectors on the left and white reflectors on the right of the carriageway to identify bends

You should never drive at a speed where you would be unable to stop within the distance your headlights show to be clear.

The lights on a car have two purposes: they help you see at night and they help other road users see you. You don't have to wait for the street lights to come on or for it to be dark before you turn on your lights. If light levels dip, whatever time of day, then turn on your lights. It is certainly wise to have your lights on a dusk approaches.

Your headlights have two settings: dip and full beam. When driving at night on lit roads or roads with a 30mph or higher speed limit you should have your headlights on dipped beam.

When driving on unlit roads and when no other traffic can be seen ahead of you, you can switch your headlights to full beam. When you see a vehicle, pedestrian or cyclist approaching you must turn the headlights to dip. Remember the Highway Code states – you must not use any lights in a way that would dazzle or cause discomfort to other road users, including pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders.

Take extra car when overtaking at night. Remember your view ahead will be limited by the darkness. Bends and dips in the road can be cloaked in darkness. These can easily hide other road users whether cars or pedestrians. Never takes risks. Be certain that the road ahead is clear. Once you have drawn level with the vehicle you are overtaking switch your headlights to full beam.

If a driver overtakes you then keep your headlights on full beam until they are level with you. The extra light will help them overtake you safely. Once they pull past you turn you lights to dip.

Car lights need to be cleaned regularly. Dirty lights can prove to be ineffective. You will find it harder to see the road and other road users will find it harder to see you.

One of the biggest night time hazards is dazzle. During the day light is pretty well evenly distributed but at night intense light sources cut through the black making it hard on your eyes and sometimes even acting to disorientate you. This light also causes dazzle.

To avoid dazzle:

Never stare at oncoming headlights. Place your gaze slightly to the left-hand side of the road. If you are having difficulty seeing ahead you should pull over and stop. If you think you're likely to be dazzled then slow down.

Clean your windscreen regularly and make sure you have a good windscreen washer concentrate in your windscreen washer reservoir. A clean windscreen will reduce dazzle.

Headlights reflected in a rear view mirror can cause dazzle. Make sure you adjust the mirror so that the dazzle is reduced.

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