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The best tip for night driving? Sometimes it’s best to stay home. Since we know that this is not possible and there are only so many calls you can make into the office claiming a ‘snow day’, it’s best you know how to drive well at night and in winter for your own safety. It is well recorded that more accidents occur at night; now with winter here this adds a little more risks to that fact.

Things to do without fail

Make sure you can see, replace windshield wiper blades, clean the inside of your windows thoroughly and, lastly, get your eyes tested. Run the air conditioner in order to remove condensation and frost from the interior of windows. And get a grip, literally. Driving at night isn’t child’s play and adding winter to the mix means you will need to have adequate snow traction; a tire requires at least 6/32-inch deep tread. Finally, ensure you vehicle is fully serviced, especially if it’s an older car.

Use your lights correctly

Your headlights are going to be your best friend. They are not to be taken lightly and flashed haphazardly just for the sake of visibility, because at times this could be at your peril. Make sure your headlights and taillights are clear of snow. Use your headlights so that others will see you and, we hope, not pull out in front of you. If you have an older car with sand-pitted headlights, get a new set of lenses.

The general rule of thumb for using your headlights is:

1. Use low beams when approaching other cars
2. Use high beams when driving in open roads or open country without other cars nearby
3. Use low beams when driving by street lighting, in fog, and when following another vehicle closely

Keep a safe following distance

You cannot neglect to keep a safe following distance when driving at night, as not only do find more drunk drivers behind the wheel at this time, but other vehicles’ lights used incorrectly can blind you. Tilt your rear view mirror slightly to reduce the dazzling effect of the car headlights behind you. Be sure to not look directly at the headlights of cars travelling in the opposite direction.

Use a road you know

Using a road that you are familiar with while driving at night will spare you extra angst behind the wheel. This does not mean you can relax, especially in winter, but it means you will know what to watch out for on a slippery nights. Watch carefully for ‘black ice’. If you think the road looks slick even while driving at night, it probably is. This is especially true with ‘black ice.’ Also called ‘glare ice’, this is nearly transparent ice that often looks like a harmless puddle or is overlooked entirely.

If you can, test the traction of the road with a smooth brake application or slight turn of the wheel.

Fog, mud, rain and dew are all potential dangers behind the wheel, especially at night. Regardless of your driving skill or vehicle preparation, some winter conditions can be very trying on you – so buckle up and avoid taking calls or texting behind the wheel.

Tags: driving