In 2017 the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA) found that 40% of collisions happen at night. 20% of serious accidents on motorways happen because of someone falling asleep behind the wheel. However, sometimes it needs to happen. When transporting, after a long day of driving the best idea is to park up the van in a secure area and get some rest. However, sometimes you need to ship something overnight so it can meet next day delivery. If you have to do this, safety should be the top priority. Here are some tips that can save you any nasty incidents on the darkened roads.
Plan night journeys properly
Of course with all long distance journeys it’s important to plan your route. This is doubly important when at night. Finding the most well-lit and fastest route can lower the chances of getting into an accident drastically.
Make sure your vehicle is prepared
Spot checks on your van before taking it out are a good idea at any time. At night there are other things to take in mind. These things include making sure all your lights are working properly, not just your headlights either. A broken rear light can make it difficult for others to notice where you are. Another thing you can do is make sure your windows are clean. Condensation and dirt can cause visibility problems and glare from the lights.
When to turn on your lights
It’s not just from sunset to sunrise that the headlights should be used. The twilight hours may seem bright enough to see but it is dark enough for things to sneak up. Around an hour before and after proper night will make it easier for others to notice you. Having your interior lights turned off is a good idea too, so all of your focus is on the light coming in from outside.
Dazzling lights on you and others
Some modern vehicles have refined the headlights to keep the lights focused on the road in front of you and not on the oncoming lane. If however you’re driving in Europe the roads are flipped and the lights will focus on oncoming traffic. It’s a good idea to check how your headlights operate. Certain vehicles use switches to adapt the headlights for you and others offer flat-light that don’t need adjusting. If however neither option is available to you can purchase adaptors that go over your headlights. If you are dazzled the best advice is simple, move your eyes away from the headlights and slow down the vehicle, try to focus on the kerb on your side of the road.
Some things you can do while driving
You have to really look at the road when driving at night. Your eyes will have to work to look for oncoming vehicles, turns and other obstacles due to the low light. Pedestrians and cyclists can also appear randomly, especially if they aren’t wearing properly bright or reflective clothing. If you have to make repeated night time journeys it’s a good idea to take regular eye tests to make sure you can keep doing it.
Keeping all of these in mind you can avoid any accidents and nasty surprises that can happen when driving at night. Taking breaks every two hours to rest from the concentration needed for driving at night, and make sure you’re awake enough to drive safely. Now simply go on to DeliveryQuoteCompare.com and start bidding on jobs for you to journey on.