Our guide to staying safe when you're out on the road late at night.
One of the great benefits of delivery or private hire work is its flexibility, which means that you can work during the times that suit you best. But sometimes you might find yourself working late at night or into the early hours of the morning.
Driving at night, whether it’s for work or not, increases your risk of having an accident, with 40% of collisions occurring during the hours where it’s dark. In this post, we’ll look at what you can do to improve your safety when you’re out on the roads at night.
Avoid driving if you feel tired
Getting behind the wheel when you feel tired is dangerous both for yourself and other road users at any time of day. If you begin to feel tired during your shift, you should think about heading home. To help yourself stay alert for longer, it’s a good idea to take a break every couple of hours.
Get your eyes tested
Drivers often find that struggling to adapt to night-time driving is one of the first signs that they need to get their eyes tested. If you’re having trouble seeing signs or traffic lights clearly late at night, you should book an appointment with an optician.
If you already wear glasses, you may find that you need to update your prescription, or you may find that you benefit from having special lenses that are designed to reduce glare.
Keep your windows clean
Although your car windshield may look clean during the day, small marks that you may not have noticed can increase glare from bright lights. You should avoid touching any windows or mirrors with your bare hands, as the fingerprints you leave behind can make it harder to see at night. Instead, it’s worth keeping a microfiber cloth in your car, so that you can wipe down surfaces safely.
Don’t stare at car headlights
If you look into the headlights of an oncoming vehicle, you can become dazzled. This can make it extremely difficult to see whilst you’re driving and can make you lose control of your own vehicle.
Instead, you should always look towards the left-hand side of the road and follow the marks on the floor to keep track of your position. If you find your vision is impaired due to some especially bright lights, slow down to a stop in good time to avoid being rear-ended by another vehicle.
Don’t forget to dim your own car headlights when you come within range of another vehicle too. You don’t want to cause any other road users to become dazzled and increase their chances of being involved in an incident.
Stay alert
Cyclists are much harder to spot at night, especially if they aren’t wearing any reflective gear. It’s also important to watch out for any wildlife which may run out in front of your vehicle. It’s always important to be ready for anything when you’re behind the wheel, even more so when it’s dark.
Dim your dashboard
If you can, it’s a good idea to turn down the LED lights on your car’s dashboard. The lights that these panels emit can distract you from your driving, so dimming these lights is a great way to boost your concentration and visibility of the road.