With the arrival of November, the time change means that we are forced to drive at night more often. But not all drivers feel comfortable, so they welcome some tips to improve their safety.
Already immersed in the middle of autumn and with the beginning of winter on the horizon, drivers know that the hours of sunshine are scarce and it is certain that we will have to circulate for longer without natural light.
Similarly, during the warmer months of the year many people must moving around or traveling at night, so being aware of the following tips to do it with greater confidence and security is useful throughout the year.
Tips for Driving Safely at Night
There is no doubt that it is always important to have the vehicle in good condition, especially when it comes to tires, brakes, suspensions or steering, which make a difference when it comes to safety.
We should not wait for the sun to set, it is better to turn on the lights in advance to see and be seen
But, beyond that, there are other aspects to take into account when driving at night, regardless of whether we do it on short trips or long trips. They are as follows:
Driver
- Check your vision periodically: Those of us with poor eyesight know that the difference between wearing well-prescription glasses or contact lenses and others that are not is abysmal. If you see well, everything will be much easier and you will feel much more confident behind the wheel. Therefore, do not neglect your eyes and get regular check-ups.
- Adequate rest: Especially if we are going to undertake a trip, it is essential to have rested correctly before, because the night will end up hitting our forces if it has not been the case. In addition, there will be less traffic, so little by little we will inevitably fall asleep.
- Use high beams rationally: long-range lights are very useful in non-illuminated areas, as they allow us to anticipate what is ahead of us well in advance. But, yes, we are always careful not to dazzle other drivers or we could cause an accident that also ends up directly affecting us.
The vehicle
- Lights in perfect condition: they are the eyes of our vehicle and, therefore, ours. A burnt out or old light, a dirty bulb, etc., have a great impact on our visibility and we must make sure that they are in perfect condition or not circular.
- Clean and clutter-free windows and glass: as with the headlights, it is important to be able to see what is happening outside and if the windows are dirty it will be more complicated. The same happens if we place objects in the field of vision or if the windshield wipers do not do their job well when necessary.
Habits that help
- respect the speed limits: This always has to be done, as is logical, but during the night it is even more relevant when losing reaction capacity. Above all, adjust the speed to your needs and abilities as a driver to feel safe.
- Turn on the lights at dusk: we should not wait for the sun to set and darkness settles on the road, it is better to turn on the lights in advance to see and be seen perfectly. Not even during the day the lights bother, except if we commit the clumsiness of using the long ones or the fog lights.
- Minimize lighting inside the passenger compartment: the lower the lighting in the cabin, the greater the ability to see the outside. We should not turn on the ambient lights unless necessary and, if possible, it will be convenient to reduce the intensity of the instrument panel.
- Maintain a safe distance: It is vital to leave a little more space with the vehicle in front at night, as it is more difficult for us to anticipate what may happen. In this way, we will have more time to react to unforeseen events and slowdowns.
- Pay close attention to the rear view mirrorsAlthough at night it is easy to identify the presence of vehicles from behind and to the sides thanks to the lights, it is worth using the mirrors with greater intensity to be aware at all times of where the vehicles around us are.
- Maintain a comfortable temperature in the passenger compartment: too much heat or too cold can cause us discomfort or even drowsiness, so it will be important to maintain a comfortable temperature that allows us to be comfortable with the clothes we wear.
- Make stops to rest: As we have said before, the night always induces us to sleep, even if we have rested. So the best thing is to count on us to stop once or several times during the journey, even taking advantage of it to have a drink or sleep for a few minutes.
- Beware of glare: it is inevitable that some clueless driver dazzles us at a given moment or we drive through a change in elevation that causes this effect for a few seconds. Anticipate this by paying attention to the route of the road at that point and try to avoid looking straight ahead, but slightly to the opposite side from which the flashing light is approaching.
- Better by motorway or well-lit roads: we cannot always choose one route among several, but if possible it will be better to drive on motorways, as the lighting is usually better and we will not find vehicles in the opposite direction.
- Look for the lines, not the trajectories of other vehicles: When driving on a completely dark section, we may be tempted to follow the car in front out of inertia. But this vehicle can make a mistake or take an exit that we do not foresee and that can cause us to have an accident. It is best to pay attention to lane markings as well as horizontal and vertical signs.
How to avoid sleep or how to know if we fall asleep
The biological clock of our body is much more powerful than it may seem, so it is normal that during the night its activity begins to decrease and sleep appears.
Sometimes it is impossible to fight it and we will have no choice but to stop and sleep, but there are some habits that can help us delay it:
- Rest before: We have already commented on this and it is crucial. Otherwise, it will be better not to start the trip.
- Light dinner: that way the body will not feel so heavy and sleep will take longer to arrive.
- No Smoking: many people get sleepy with tobacco, as well as being another distraction while driving.
- Avoid heat in the passenger compartment: We have already mentioned it but we insist, especially with the heat, which tends to make people sleepy.
- Be careful with the musicThe radio can be a good ally when traveling, but if the music is too quiet or the program is boring, we can quickly fall asleep.
- The companion: if you are traveling with someone, it is best to rest while the driver is fresh and energetic, to relieve him or help him identify when he begins to fall asleep in the most tedious moments of the trip.
To know if we are falling asleep, the clues that the eyes give like the watery eyes, eyestrain, or itchy eyes They will tell us that we are tired and that we should stop, because our body is already beginning to be at the limit of its energies. Other symptoms are yawning or feeling restless.
Let’s keep in mind that, traveling at 120 km / h, we travel 33 meters per second. Closing our eyes for a short period of time can cause us to crash or go off the road, suffering a serious accident or even death. Worth?