DRIVING AT NIGHT

There are two attitudes of mind you may have towards night driving. Either not too sure because you cannot see as much, or on the positive side, you concentrate on the road and the things that stand out in your headlights warning you of possible danger, anyway what you can't see doesn't matter or does it?

The dark is something that makes many drivers feel apprehensive, no lighting at all can make it even more difficult. It is understandable, purely because your vision is limited compared to daylight vision.

I intend talking about clues to look for, such as signs and road markings and using other vehicles to find your way, all  warning you of problems coming up ahead. There are  some simple guide lines that are much more evident in the dark ( see my article on centre white lines and using them to anticipate.)

Whilst driver training in my last job, we had to do night runs. It was noticeable that after returning to  day driving, students would notice more signs and road markings, and use them in their commentary.That was because they stood out so much in their headlights, and they had learnt from that experience, that alone gave them better anticipation. The centre white lines, in particular, stood out. Their driving improved, by noticing these clues more, even during the daylight hours.

Here are a few tips to start with. Do not look at the lights of oncoming vehicles, guide your eyes towards the near-side kerb line, sometimes marked with a solid white line, go slightly towards that. 

You will find that if you look at something for too long you will be drawn towards it. Make this work for you, as above, by looking at the kerb, then moving your eyes along it, do not just look at one spot. Look further along the nearside white line and then come back, continuing this till the oncoming vehicles pass.

After the vehicles towards have passed, take both the kerb and the centre white lines as a guide. Come a little nearer to the centre white line, keeping away from the muck and drains on the near-side. Oh, and click on your main beam the split  second the last oncoming vehicle passes. 

Of course a split second before your lights dazzle an oncoming vehicles, dip your main beam again and back to following the nearside kerb line. You may dazzle oncomers on a dual-carriageway, purely because of the angle of your headlights.

Vehicles up ahead and towards will often illuminate a potential hazard coming up, so lift your vision when you see headlights up ahead. 

With no one about for a while, flash and dip your headlights a couple of times before reaching junctions and entrances. This is to warn people coming up to the main road of your presence. 

Do not wait until you definitely see another vehicle, that is what I refer to as a reactionary driving. Please try and be an anticipating driver, the secret behind everything to do with safe driving.

If on a really quiet stretch for a while, occasionally flash and dip your headlights to change the view ahead. Maybe the main flash will catch a sign in its beam, some distance away.The reflective signs, all talked about below will be seen much sooner, giving you even earlier warning of what lies ahead.

Look for a small blue backed sign, 450 yards shown on it, warning of a lay-by coming up. If at the front of a line of vehicles, or on your own, flash your head lights, to see if anyone is in that lay-by. They may be moving off, but not yet realised they have not got lights on.

With someone in the lay-by, use your mirrors and if safe, move away. If they keep moving, put on the full beam, keep on until you have passed the danger on your near-side, so long as you are not dazzling anyone. What does this flash mean? It is saying ' hello, I am here.' as is implied in the Highway Code.

Ask yourself the following question if there is an adjacent lay-by to your off-side. " Which way does a driver leaving that lay-by look as it takes 

off?" Answer, over their right shoulder, away from you, it is where the first danger to them comes from. If you see this, use your mirrors and move to the near-side and put on a long flash to attract attention, don't be shy. 

With the next paragraphs about reflective signs please do not think I am being patronising as I have to speak to all levels of driver, some  with limited knowledge on driving.

 

Reflective surfaces on signs on the near-side of the road, as a generalisation are red in colour. This helps pick out the left side of the road. I relate this to seeing a vehicle ahead, the rear lights and reflectors are red, apart from indicators which are amber, at both the front and back of a vehicle. 

You would overtake a vehicle even during the day by steering to its right-hand side. Keep to that rule with regards to the reflective signs at night, when they are red. Add rain to all these situations and these reflective signs are even more helpful.

There are hazard posts at the near-side of the road,  some on bends, they have a short black and white painted post, the reflective disc on the top is red. So keep to the right of them. A line of red reflectors in your headlight indicates to you that the road goes to the right. 

If you see this line of reflectors on the approach to a bend they are trying to tell you something. This bend is more dangerous than the others, maybe accidents have occurred regularly at this point over a period of time. Local councils do not spend money lightly, so ignor at your peril. 

On the other side of the road, the same posts will have white reflectors, just like the oncoming head-lights of any vehicle, which you  keep to the left of. Likewise, a long line of white reflectors tells you the road bends to the left.

There are similar smaller posts that pick out other things.They are  at the mouth of some roads and entrances. As you approach, both the posts to your nearside have red reflectors, these will show a white reflector to the oncoming vehicles, because the entrance is on the right-hand side of the road for them.

As an addition, when off the main roads in the Highlands, where a heavy fall of snow can cover the road in some places there are 7/8 feet high posts, on top of which the reflectors stick to the same rule as above. Near-side or left-side, red. On the off-side or right-hand side, white. Stick to the middle, between these posts to remain on the road. 

The colour of a directional sign on a Main road, or 'A' road as some drivers call it is green. Only on a motorway are they blue. If you are following the main roads as opposed to a motorway, look for a green background to the major signs. 

Roundabouts will stand out. There are often a large cluster of lamp-posts in the distance at night, they stand out much earlier. The roundabout itself is preceded by a green roundabout sign.The lamp-posts locate the actual position of the roundabout. If you cannot see it yet, look for brake-lights as you get nearer, they may be just round the bend, initially out of sight.

To locate the middle island of a roundabout, look for a round blue backed sign, with a white arrow pointing left. This is on top of the black and white chevron board, also pointing left.

Count-down markers to a major junction on a main road, have a 

green background 3/2/1. Any other colour is used for other local hazards, and of course only blue count-down markers on the approach to a motorway slip-road. 

On any other road, than a motorway, you must remember that these count-down markers can only be equidistant from each other, they are often 100 yards / meters apart, but  this distance can only be guaranteed on the approach to a motorway slip-road. 

All other roads could have a junction or an entrance close to the main hazard you are being warned of.  All the count-down markers can do  is divide up  the distance from that last junction / entrance equally up to the give-way markings, if on the approach to a roundabout. It is for that reason that you should not presume they are all 100 yards / meters apart. Your braking distance could be much shorter, and you could get caught out particularly in wet conditions.  

By lifting and opening your vision you can often get an early glimpse of the lights of a moving vehicle, way ahead to your right or left. Start looking for a junction where you might come in to contact with that vehicle, so you can start planning much earlier.

To locate a slip road, look out for the white road markings that will help you to pin point its actual location. It will stand out in your headlights when dark and it is on both motorways and main ' A ' roads. 

After passing the large road signs warning you of the junction and the count-down markers, look for two large white arrows connected but splitting, one pointing off onto the slip-lane, the other points straight on along the main road inside lane. Even if the vision is poor, go over the middle split of this white road marking. This will ensure you go off onto the slip road, fair and square. Do this in daylight convince yourself that you would go directly onto the slip-road.

There are various signs that warn you of a junction coming up, this is whether you are on an ' A ' main road, or a minor road.You will initially see a red triangular sign, with a white background, showing a black symbol of a junction lay-out, either right / left or both. 

There are others with local information, but there is only one sign that locates the actual junction. This is a ' Finger-Post ' sign. It has a pointed end like a finger pointing into the junction or entrance. They are always at the location of the junction, but could be on any side of the road.

The importance of the finger post is that you often get a glimpse before seeing the junction itself. This helps you to judge your braking distance, if turning. 

If not turning, you can also anticipate that a slower vehicle in front may turn without signalling, while others can come out, or turn into the junction across your path, that you have not seen yet.

If you are the only vehicle at that time, flash and dip your lights several times as you see the red triangular sign, maybe getting sight of the ' Finger Post ' but also warning the possible turners of your presence, and hopefully keeping them steady until you pass.

This article like the others is about the one thing that makes driving safer. Anticipation. 

  

TAKE CARE OUT THERE, NO ONE CAN DO IT FOR YOU.  

DAN MOONIE