10 Important Tips for Driving Safely at Night

Approximately one in 25 drivers recognizes that they have fallen asleep while driving at night. But this is not the only danger; To give you an idea, the risk of an American driver hitting a wild animal is 1 in 116. As always, the numbers don’t lie and, in this case, confirm that driving at night requires more attention and some special care, among them , prudence and defensive driving.

With that in mind, the awesome.club separated 10 essential tips for driving safely at night. Read carefully and remember: safety always comes first.

This should never be done on vehicles with an automatic transmission. When shifting gears to “R” before the car has come to a complete stop, the transmission itself stops the vehicle, not the brakes, which can damage the transmission system and leave it in hand, just overnight.

Signaling problems and sharp turns are the main reasons that make these roads more dangerous at night. Many of these highways are not well lit, which ends up making drivers get used to total darkness. The danger is in the lights of cars that can appear in the opposite direction, confusing and causing the driver not to see any sign or even a sharp curve. That is, it is an accident that could be avoided during the day.

The importance of doing so is to minimize reflections and distractions. That way, the eyes only focus on the road and not on the dashboard lights, which can normally distract us. Bright LED lights can really confuse our eyes and create dangerous reflections; this is precisely why cars come with a dimmer switch, so that the dashboard lighting can be controlled and the brightness dimmed.

It’s not just the windshield that creates unnecessary reflections, the glasses too. If you usually drive at night, the ideal is opt for anti-glare lensesas they allow more light to reach the eyes. And stay away from the trendy yellow glasses🇧🇷 the yellow lenses make it difficult to perceive the details of the road, as they do not allow enough light to reach the eyes.

Newspaper is made from fibers that do not contain abrasive materials capable of damaging window and windshield glass. On the contrary, he cleans much better than paper towels and leaves no residue. Also, many newspapers have stopped using petroleum-based ink, so they don’t leave stains. You can put the newspaper in a mixture of vinegar and water, this will help make your car windows even cleaner.

Keeping a safe distance from other cars at night and slowing down is very important, whether on the highway or on smaller streets. During this period, our reflexes may slow down, mainly due to the lower external lighting compared to daytime. To put this tip into practice, choose a reference point that the car in front will pass, and start counting as soon as it passes. The distance maintained between the two cars must be sufficient to allow you to count to three before you pass the same point.🇧🇷 If you catch up with the car in front of you before the countdown is over, you may need to slow down a bit more.

Even those who take great care of their own car can experience an emergency. If this happens, remember to use your reflective triangle coordinated with the flasher, positioning it a minimum of 30 meters (or 30 steps) from the vehicle🇧🇷 If possible, keep a flashlight, a reflective jacket and auxiliary cables in the trunk. That way, even if you are in a remote place, you can wait on the side of the road more safely. Also, remember to always carry your cell phone charger. That way, you can ask for help if you can’t solve the problem yourself.

Dirty headlights can make driving even more difficult at night because they light up less🇧🇷 If you’re driving on an unlit road, your car’s headlights are all you have. That’s why it’s so important to wash them before leaving the house and bring products to clean them if necessary. If they get too dirty from the road and weather, you can stop at a gas station and do a quick clean.

Our attention and visibility of the road at night is hampered by darkness. That’s why GPS should be used, as it gives us clear instructions, even when the weather is not at its best. That is, even if you are on a road that you know very well, the weather and poor lighting can cause confusion and make you miss an important turn. Remember to turn on the GPS sound and trust it not to stare at the screen all the time, which can also be dangerous.

The high beam is very useful in rural areas and on very open roads. When the lighting is not good enough, the high beam helps us see better and can save us from accidents with other cars, or even animals. But you should not turn on the high beams if you are behind another car or when another vehicle is approaching from the opposite direction.🇧🇷 There are some automatic lighting systems that adjust the light whenever other cars approach.

Have you ever faced a dangerous situation while driving at night? And what do you do to not get sleepy while driving? Tell in the comments.