If you’re new to the UK and still adjusting to its roads, driving at night can be daunting. The darkness makes it harder to navigate, spot hazards and adjust to other road users. To help out, we’ve put together some practical tips to help boost your confidence. Jump in below.
Prepare for your journey
Before you set off, make sure you’re comfortable in your car. Complete some simple checks to make night driving easier:
- Clean your windscreen inside and out. You don’t want any smears or dirt making it harder to see.
- Check the controls for your headlights. You want to be confident that you can switch them on and off when you need to, including full beams.
- Your rearview mirror may have a toggle that reduces glare.
Plan your route
If you’re concerned about driving at night, plan your route in advance. Whether you’re using a sat nav or a road map, try to stick to more well-lit routes. If you can, drive the route during day time so you know what to expect.
Your sat nav might choose a small country lane as the most direct route, but if you’d prefer to avoid them, change the route before you set off.
If you’re mid-journey and your route takes you down a dark road you don’t feel comfortable with, you can always pull over and check for an alternative route.
Keep an eye on road signs
Road signs are reflective, so should be easy to read at night. Even if you’re using a sat nav, pay attention to signs as they’ll help you with directions, which lane to be in and other important info.
Be careful of bright screens
Most sat navs and phone apps will switch to night mode when it’s dark outside. This reduces the brightness so it’s easier to switch between looking at the screen and the road.
Try to avoid looking at bright screens before or while driving as it takes your eyes time to adjust. This will make it harder to see the road ahead.
Know when to switch between headlights
Your headlights have three settings, and it’s important to know when to switch between them:
Sidelights - Use in early evening when light starts to fade. They will help other drivers see you, but won’t light up the road in front of you.
Dipped headlights - Use as it gets darker and you need to light up the road in front of you. Can be used on any road.
Full beam headlights - Can be used on roads without street lights to improve visibility.
If you have full beam headlights on, you must switch back to dipped if there are cars going in the other direction, or if you're behind another driver. If you don’t, the other drivers won’t be able to see. So stay safe and remember to switch.
Cat’s eyes and street lights
You’ll often see lines of small, slightly raised bumps that are built into the road between lane markings. In the day they just look like little bumps, but at night they reflect light from your headlights. They’re officially called “Reflective road studs” but generally they’re known as “Cat’s eyes”.
They’re designed to help you see the edges of lanes, and use colours to indicate different things:
- White - Center of a standard road, lane division on a motorway
- Red - Left edge
- Amber - Central reservation on dual carriageways
- Green - Slip lanes and lay-bys
- Green/yellow - Can also be used for temporary lane markings during road works
As you can see, where you see red/amber they are a warning not to cross that line.
Street lights
Street lights are generally used in built up areas and busier junctions or stretches of road. They help you spot pedestrians, check signs and look for hazards.
If there are no street lights, you may be on a quieter road, or a stretch without any junctions for a little while. Although there may be fewer hazards, if there are any they will be harder to spot.
This is particularly true on small, windy roads, where you can’t see around the next corner. So stay alert, keep your distance and reduce your speed if you’re unsure.
Roadworks after dark
Roadworks at night can feel particularly daunting. With flashing lights, temporary signs, strange layouts and big bits of machinery, it can look like you’re heading into a sci-fi movie.
But, just like roadworks during the day, if you stay calm there’s nothing to fear.
Tips for driving through roadworks at night
- As soon as you see any cones or roadwork warning signs, reduce your speed if necessary and look out for further information.
- Always follow the instructions on any signs or temporary traffic lights. Your sat nav may not match the layout, but that’s because it won’t have the details of the road works.
- Maintenance vehicles may have flashing orange lights. These are to catch your attention, so keep your distance and take caution.
Don’t drive tired
Staying alert is vital for staying safe. If you’re driving at night, try to prepare so you’re not tired when you get behind the wheel. Rest before driving, have a nap if needed.
Even if you’re not physically tired, give your eyes a break. If you work on a computer all day, your eyes can become tired. Even a long blink can be dangerous when driving, so give them a chance to rest.
Tips to stay alert while on the road
After you’ve set off, you can try the following to stay alert:
- Break up long drives with stops to rest
- Play music or listen to the radio
- Open the window
- Don’t have the heating up too high
- Stay hydrated, have a bottle of water with an easy open cap
- Drink tea, coffee or energy drinks
- If you’ve stopped, eat a snack for some extra energy
If you’re still feeling tired, pullover and take a break. Use lay-bys or service stations if you’re on a major road or motorway. Get out of the car for some fresh air, shake out your arms and legs.
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