driving in the dark
Discussion
Seriously guys, i stink!!!
Generally i'd say i'm an okay driver, nothing special but not spectacularly bad either. Come night time though and if there aren't any street lights i see old women in micras overtaking me
I'm talking about motorways and dual carriage ways that are unlit. Other people seem to be able to fly past doing 80-90 whereas i'm stuck behind a truck doing 50 thinking long and hard wether it's worth the "risk" to overtake the bloody thing!
I know it's to do with not being able to see anything beyond where my lights extend to but how do others manage this what should be a non-issue?
Generally i'd say i'm an okay driver, nothing special but not spectacularly bad either. Come night time though and if there aren't any street lights i see old women in micras overtaking me
I'm talking about motorways and dual carriage ways that are unlit. Other people seem to be able to fly past doing 80-90 whereas i'm stuck behind a truck doing 50 thinking long and hard wether it's worth the "risk" to overtake the bloody thing!
I know it's to do with not being able to see anything beyond where my lights extend to but how do others manage this what should be a non-issue?
It's about the only situation where the "able to stop in the distance you can see to be clear" rule tends not to apply. Instead it becomes "able to swerve into another lane in the distance you can see to be clear" - you have to take it on faith that there wont be anything big enough to straddle multiple lanes in the middle of a motorway that isn't lit in some way.
If you're not comfortable with going faster, don't go faster.
If you're not comfortable with going faster, don't go faster.
irf said:
Seriously guys, i stink!!!
Generally i'd say i'm an okay driver, nothing special but not spectacularly bad either. Come night time though and if there aren't any street lights i see old women in micras overtaking me
I'm talking about motorways and dual carriage ways that are unlit. Other people seem to be able to fly past doing 80-90 whereas i'm stuck behind a truck doing 50 thinking long and hard wether it's worth the "risk" to overtake the bloody thing!
I know it's to do with not being able to see anything beyond where my lights extend to but how do others manage this what should be a non-issue?
How much driving at night have you done? It's an acquired skill which involves looking at a different set of clues compared to day-time driving.Generally i'd say i'm an okay driver, nothing special but not spectacularly bad either. Come night time though and if there aren't any street lights i see old women in micras overtaking me
I'm talking about motorways and dual carriage ways that are unlit. Other people seem to be able to fly past doing 80-90 whereas i'm stuck behind a truck doing 50 thinking long and hard wether it's worth the "risk" to overtake the bloody thing!
I know it's to do with not being able to see anything beyond where my lights extend to but how do others manage this what should be a non-issue?
Also, have you have your eyes tested recently? If you have poor night vision then it won't help.
Talking of night driving, I was joining a fast unlit dual last night, could see something coming but couldnt make out what it was or how fast it was going for some reason, it pulled out in to the outside lane and I joined, the vehicle was very close and I still couldnt make out what it was, when it went past I could see it was a Citroen Piccasso with its side & fog lights on? I sped up to catch it, and whilst having a rant about how stupid it was to the better half, I pulled along side with my dipped beam on and I can honestly say that my lights were illuminating around 85% more than the piccasso, if i would have flicked to the high beam which I do occasionally on this stretch of road, it probably would have been 120% more than what this numpty was illuminating with his side & fog lights? 
1)check your blubs - I drove my wifes car and she had failed to notice that both headlights were out, so just driving on side lights, I was worse than a granny!!!
2) Check your headlight adjuster is properly adjusted - Wife's car again. She had them pointing at the floor.
3) Clean you headlights - makes a big difference
If that fails try going for a sight test.
Mark
2) Check your headlight adjuster is properly adjusted - Wife's car again. She had them pointing at the floor.
3) Clean you headlights - makes a big difference
If that fails try going for a sight test.
Mark
However good your headlights are, the maximum legal height of dipped beams will not illuminate enough distance to be able to stop from 70mph, so I can understand why someone wouldn't be happy driving that fast (and don't get me started on people who use main beam on motorways when there's traffic coming the other way).
One option would be to just latch onto the back of another car doing 70 so you get to see the extent of its headlights as well as your own.
One option would be to just latch onto the back of another car doing 70 so you get to see the extent of its headlights as well as your own.
Edited by kambites on Tuesday 12th October 10:46
When cars approach, look towards the nearside of the road to avoid being dazzled.
Keep your lights immaculately clean.
Use good quality bulbs.
Check the height adjustment isn't set to having passengers.
Get the headlights adjusted so they are set a bit higher (use the adjustment wheel if they dazzle people)
Look past the light part of your headlights, your looking for reflections in the dark bit, not for small rabbits as you hit them!
follow another car and stick to it (at a safe distance), they will swerve or brake as they hit something, allowing you to avoid it.
Get your eyes tested, no really, you might need glasses.
Keep your lights immaculately clean.
Use good quality bulbs.
Check the height adjustment isn't set to having passengers.
Get the headlights adjusted so they are set a bit higher (use the adjustment wheel if they dazzle people)
Look past the light part of your headlights, your looking for reflections in the dark bit, not for small rabbits as you hit them!
follow another car and stick to it (at a safe distance), they will swerve or brake as they hit something, allowing you to avoid it.
Get your eyes tested, no really, you might need glasses.
markCSC said:
1)check your blubs - I drove my wifes car and she had failed to notice that both headlights were out, so just driving on side lights, I was worse than a granny!!!
2) Check your headlight adjuster is properly adjusted - Wife's car again. She had them pointing at the floor.
3) Clean you headlights - makes a big difference
If that fails try going for a sight test.
Another useful tip: Keep light levels in the car as low as possible. Switch your rear view mirror to the "Night" setting, Turn your dash lights down, Make sure your sat-nav is in night mode or turn it off, Adjust your wing mirrors to cover the lane next to you, not directly behind.2) Check your headlight adjuster is properly adjusted - Wife's car again. She had them pointing at the floor.
3) Clean you headlights - makes a big difference
If that fails try going for a sight test.
All these little things add up and allow your eyes to adjust better to the darkness outside, rather than trying to adjust to the higher light level inside the car.
Thanks for the help so far, experience in general i've been driving for 24 years (started at 14 in another country) but i can't say i have lot of experience at night. Having said that i'd say i have more then enough experience to be able to just get on with it but just can't seem to.
Eyesight is fine, it's a good question though, i know it's just me not being able to drive faster then being able to stop in the distance i see.
Cars don't make a difference in the sense that if i drive a friends car whose been driving on the motorway at whatever speed they want to, i get in and drive like miss daisy.
I can understand the comment about "well don't drive faster if you feel unsafe" but my aim is to maybe get some tips and at least try and feel comfortable at night.
As an example, last night coming down the A1, approaching a crest i tensed up so badly, if someone gave me the option of stopping the car and getting out to see what was on the other side, i would have taken up the offer
Eyesight is fine, it's a good question though, i know it's just me not being able to drive faster then being able to stop in the distance i see.
Cars don't make a difference in the sense that if i drive a friends car whose been driving on the motorway at whatever speed they want to, i get in and drive like miss daisy.
I can understand the comment about "well don't drive faster if you feel unsafe" but my aim is to maybe get some tips and at least try and feel comfortable at night.
As an example, last night coming down the A1, approaching a crest i tensed up so badly, if someone gave me the option of stopping the car and getting out to see what was on the other side, i would have taken up the offer
HellDiver said:
I hate driving at night, mainly because I have woeful low light vision. Always have had. I let the missus drive at night, as she can see far better in low light conditions.
Same here. I'm ok until another vehicle approaches, at which point I'm quite easily blinded by oncoming lights.And there does seem to a be a lot of vehicles on the road with headlights aimed excessively high.
Fortunately, my wife and I travel to and from work together, so in the winter she drives home.
I literally put blind faith in her.
Edited by TonyRPH on Tuesday 12th October 11:14
irf said:
Thanks for the help so far, experience in general i've been driving for 24 years (started at 14 in another country) but i can't say i have lot of experience at night. Having said that i'd say i have more then enough experience to be able to just get on with it but just can't seem to.
Eyesight is fine, it's a good question though, i know it's just me not being able to drive faster then being able to stop in the distance i see.
Cars don't make a difference in the sense that if i drive a friends car whose been driving on the motorway at whatever speed they want to, i get in and drive like miss daisy.
I can understand the comment about "well don't drive faster if you feel unsafe" but my aim is to maybe get some tips and at least try and feel comfortable at night.
As an example, last night coming down the A1, approaching a crest i tensed up so badly, if someone gave me the option of stopping the car and getting out to see what was on the other side, i would have taken up the offer
Apologies if I'm stating the obvious but do you (in your worried state) focus intently on what your own lights are showing up rather than looking further into the darkness for the information which is available there?Eyesight is fine, it's a good question though, i know it's just me not being able to drive faster then being able to stop in the distance i see.
Cars don't make a difference in the sense that if i drive a friends car whose been driving on the motorway at whatever speed they want to, i get in and drive like miss daisy.
I can understand the comment about "well don't drive faster if you feel unsafe" but my aim is to maybe get some tips and at least try and feel comfortable at night.
As an example, last night coming down the A1, approaching a crest i tensed up so badly, if someone gave me the option of stopping the car and getting out to see what was on the other side, i would have taken up the offer
When driving in areas without street lights using dipped beams the vast majority of information doesn't come from the area that they are lighting up, it comes from the traffic up ahead and what their lights are illuminating rather than your own.
A friend of mine says the same thing. She's a pretty talented driver, but as soon as it is dark she says she can barely see the edge of the road if there are no streetlamps or anything. Speaking for myself on the other hand, I can see easily enough to drive at a reasonable (if not a daytime) pace at night.
Maybe we all have different eyesight. Some people are red-green colourblind, and some people are short sighted. I reckon some people can't see too well in the dark too!
Maybe we all have different eyesight. Some people are red-green colourblind, and some people are short sighted. I reckon some people can't see too well in the dark too!
TonyRPH said:
And there does seem to a be a lot of vehicles on the road with headlights aimed excessively high.
Usually Peugeots - they always have squinty lights. If I get one coming towards me, even when I'm staring towards the edge of the road, it can take a few seconds for me to be able to see anything at all, unless I'm straight on to the full beams. Which I obviously can't do if there's other cars approaching.So, I tend to avoid driving at night if I can at all.
Some people do have poor night vision and this can become worse as you get older. Cataracts can also cause problems as they diffuse light coming towards you. So get your eyes tested for night vision first.
If that's ok, relax and focus on other indicators of what may lie ahead, rather than just what you can see in the headlight beam - does the hedge/tree-line curve one way or another, which direction is the white line going. If you can see the direction of the road ahead but it appears dark, the chances are that there's nothing there - vehicles, animals, people will usually show up somehow - either from the lights, reflectors, clothing, light reflecting from eyes or something.
Go at the speed you are comfortable at, but if you feel that is too slow, try increasing it just a little, to see if you can get comfortable with that. If someone overtakes you, follow their lights.
If you're really worried, you could spend $4k on one of these! -
http://www.motorauthority.com/blog/1031923_flir-pa...
If that's ok, relax and focus on other indicators of what may lie ahead, rather than just what you can see in the headlight beam - does the hedge/tree-line curve one way or another, which direction is the white line going. If you can see the direction of the road ahead but it appears dark, the chances are that there's nothing there - vehicles, animals, people will usually show up somehow - either from the lights, reflectors, clothing, light reflecting from eyes or something.
Go at the speed you are comfortable at, but if you feel that is too slow, try increasing it just a little, to see if you can get comfortable with that. If someone overtakes you, follow their lights.
If you're really worried, you could spend $4k on one of these! -
http://www.motorauthority.com/blog/1031923_flir-pa...
You may be a sufferer of 'Night time Myopia'.
It is a real condition. It generally makes you not be able to focus whilst driving in the dark, difficult to judge distances and very difficult to see past oncoming headlights or even the rear lights of the vehicle in front of you.
My fiancee suffers from this. We are lucky enough to have a friend who is a qualified optician and was able to throw some light on the subject (sorry - pun alert).
Serious advice would be visit your optician.
Dave
It is a real condition. It generally makes you not be able to focus whilst driving in the dark, difficult to judge distances and very difficult to see past oncoming headlights or even the rear lights of the vehicle in front of you.
My fiancee suffers from this. We are lucky enough to have a friend who is a qualified optician and was able to throw some light on the subject (sorry - pun alert).
Serious advice would be visit your optician.
Dave
I have no problem driving at night. On unlit Motorways and Dual carrageways the cats eyes are visible for 100s of meters and on country lanes just stick on the full beam (remembering to dip them when you see another cars headlights approaching)
It would be stupid to drive beyond your comfort zone just because you feel you should. You should drive to the conditions of the road and use your judgement as to what is safe.
I was doing north of 80 on an unlit DC about a week ago then it got pretty foggy all of a sudden so i had no problem slowing to 45. I still didnt have a problem doing 45 when a BMW overtook me at standard pace.
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