Driving in the dark

You can’t see as far ahead when driving at night. With less information available to you, hazards can be more difficult to make out, and vulnerable road users – such as cyclists, pedestrians and motorcyclists – may not be as easy to spot as they are in daylight. The potential problems can vary with the type of road and the amount of traffic.

Speed at night

You need to be aware that driving quickly at night (and at dawn and dusk) will limit your ability to drive safely. It’s more difficult to judge distance and hazards can appear to be further away than they actually are. The faster you drive, the more difficult it becomes.

Never drive so fast that you can’t stop well within the distance you can see to be clear. That is, within the range of your lights.

To enable you to see the greatest distance, you should normally use mainbeam headlights on unlit roads unless

• you’re following another vehicle
• you’re meeting oncoming traffic.

On lit roads you should normally use dipped headlights.

If you can’t stop safely within the range of your lights, you’re going too fast.

Note

Fluorescent material shows up well in daylight or at dusk, but is of little use in the dark. Only reflective material shows up well in headlights.

Avoid dazzling others

If you meet any other road user, including cyclists and pedestrians, dip your headlights in good time to avoid dazzling them.

At dusk

You may find it best to put your headlights on at dusk, just before lighting-up time. At this time in the evening many shades of vehicle paintwork, such as black, blues and greys, and surprisingly white and silver as well, seem to blend in with the failing light.

Colours, particularly the more neutral ones, become less easy to distinguish than you would expect in the half-light of dusk. The situation is often made worse by the fact that some vehicles will already be using lights and some won’t.

Ultimately, it can mean that some unlit vehicles can be almost invisible until you’re very close to them. Don’t be afraid to be the first driver to switch on – it’s better to see and be seen.

At dawn

The opposite applies. Don’t switch off your headlights until you’re sure it’s safe. Make sure you can see and be seen.

When you drive with your headlights on, other drivers can

• see you earlier
• tell which way you’re heading. This is often difficult in the half-light without lights.

Your eyes in the dark

If you find that you can’t see so well in the dark, it might be that you need to book an appointment with an optician for an eye test.

How far can you see?

Test yourself in a suitable place.

Pick an object within the range of your lights and see if you can stop by the time you reach it. You’ll be surprised how difficult this is with dipped lights on an unlit road. It shows that you should take a good look before you dip your lights.

Lighter-coloured objects are easier to see at night.

Adjusting to darkness

Give your eyes a minute or two to adjust to the darkness, particularly when you’re coming out of a brightly lit area or building.

You can always use the time to clean your lights, mirrors, windscreen, etc.

Remember this when you leave a motorway service area after a rest or refuelling stop.

A dirty windscreen increases glare and dazzle, so keep it clean.

Don’t

• wear tinted glasses or sunglasses while driving at night
• spray the windscreen or windows with tints.