It shouldn’t come as a surprise to know that driving during the nighttime can indeed prove to be challenging for any driver out there. Some drivers tend to love it, while others avoid doing the same at all costs. However, there will be times when you have to go out at night with your vehicle – either due to personal or emergencies. Times like these are when you need the ideal guidance to learn what steps you should be undertaking and what steps you shouldn’t.
Therefore, to help you keep safe when driving in the dark, we have formulated this extensive guide containing all the essential tips & tricks that you should be following at all costs.
Ways To Keep Yourself Safe When Driving In The Dark
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Checking Your Vehicle Lights
According to a professional service provider for car servicing in Auckland, it’s your responsibility as a driver to check the headlights of your vehicle before you head out to drive at night. Not only the headlamps, but you also have to check your turning indicators and tail lights. Most workshops in Auckland conduct a WOF or Warranty of Fitness test, which you should opt for and get your vehicle inspected by professionals.
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Keep The Car Interior Lights Dimmed
Nowadays, most modern vehicles come with large infotainment systems, bright dashboard LEDs, and so on. All of these technologies can not only be helpful but also distracting at times, thereby reducing your overall vision on the road while you drive.
But, if you can dim your vehicle’s interior lights, you can remove those distractions and thus allow your eyes to see what’s going on the road, in a better manner. As a result, you’ll be able to enjoy better night-time visibility.
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Always Wear The Correct Glasses
If you wear glasses all the time, ensure that your visibility is at an all-time high when driving your vehicle at night. This is because, if your visibility isn’t that great while wearing glasses at night, then you shouldn’t even try driving your vehicle. After all, it can directly lead to gruesome accidents. So, if you want your nighttime driving to be safer, you have to take into account your overall vision when wearing your glasses.
Moreover, make sure that the lenses on your glasses are clean & free from smudges so that any visibility isn’t hindered.
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Look Out For Reflections On The Road
When you’re driving on the road at night, there will be moments when you’ll encounter certain objects that can reflect the light from your car’s headlamps falling onto them. For instance, any animal or shiny object on the road can reflect light to your eyes, which can affect your overall visibility. Times like these are when you need to slow down and therefore take the extra moment to recapitulate so that you don’t make any costly mistakes.
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Learn When To Use Fog Or Driving Lamps
The primary objective to use front fog lights is to simply illuminate the road that’s ahead of you when in a foggy condition. It can be used both during the day and the night. These fog lamps tend to give a wide light beam that can shine easily through the fog and thus help the driver see the road ahead. Fog lamps are always aimed low because aiming high can blind oncoming drivers and lead to accidents. Thus, you should only use fog lamps when your on-road visibility has been reduced severely.
On the other hand, the main driving lamps on your vehicle can be utilized at any time and they also come with low/high beams. Low for short-distance illumination and high for long-distance illumination. These lamps are for general usage and cannot be used in foggy conditions effectively.