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Without daylight, driving becomes more daunting, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do it safely. Having roadside assistance keeps all your worries to rest as you will be provided with complete support in accordance with your membership plan. Free towing assistance, fuel delivery, minor on-spot repairs, accidental jumpstart, flat tire, lost or locked keys assistance, taxi benefit, medical assistance, and hotel stays provide you extended support which makes you feel confident towards driving at night rather than keeping your worries to haunt you over.
Also, we can’t neglect the fatal accidents which can occur due to negligence on the road. Drunk driving and driving under abusive substances tops the chart for becoming the major cause of fatal accidents. As per the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways 2019 data, the maximum number of road accidents in India that happened in the night accounted for 19.3% during the time interval between 18:00 - 21:00 hrs and this is in continuation with the same pattern over the past 5 years.
But other factors also contribute to the challenge of driving at night. Here are 5 safety tips you should follow during night driving that could help reduce the risk.
1. Be extra cautious of other drivers
Although night driving has its own challenges, it is significant to be aware of the hurdles other drivers are facing too. At night, you may find fewer cars on the road, but you may be extra cautious while driving on the roads. Many people on the roads are drunk drivers, mostly at night, you have to imagine what you can do to keep your car and yourself safe.
Try to let them go first if they are honking at the back of your car, do not race with them in terms of competing for getting ahead of them. If you are on a one-way street and their car is coming towards you, use a dipper at night or car honk, so that they can better be in some senses to adjust their car and let you cross by safely. Be careful here, by using a dipper don’t expect they will adjust their car on the road, try to drive slow so that you can gauge their driving style and take possible steps of careful driving when needed.
With all of these factors in force, it is necessary to be conscious of other vehicles while driving at night.
2. Lower the high beam even if the other driver doesn’t.
Do not get into ego clashes on the highway, expecting another driver to change into a low beam first. Shift to low beam irrespective of what the other driver does. It is essential to keep yourself safe rather than slowly getting into fights as you can’t expect yourself to overlook the situation if another driver is not paying attention.
3. Expect other obstacles on the road
Many non-motorised vehicles don’t have any tail lights or reflectors. Some of them are of huge build-up(like bullock carts) to block half the road and leave no space for movement. Sometimes you won’t spot them until you are too close. Always be prepared for such an occurrence.
However, it is required to keep a higher margin while overtaking or giving way to other vehicles. The other driver might feel sleepy or not paying full attention, so there could be mistakes.
Other possibilities could also arise such as roads dug up, diverted, or even unreal. Do not assume the road ahead will be safe. Drive safely in a manner that you can always stop within the visible area in the headlight. Else you might end up sticking your car wheels in the pit. Don’t worry, with your roadside assistance coverage, you can pretty well save out yourself from such crap.
4. Drive with windows slightly rolled down and use headlights ahead
If you want to let the fresh air through the window if you don’t feel comfortable with temperature-controlled interiors, it will help you stay alert, more attentive to horns and other outside sounds. If dusty air finds its way inside, it might hint at bad roads ahead and you better feel slowing down instead of driving at high speed.
A single light doesn’t indicate it is a two-wheeler vehicle. It might be a truck whose one light isn’t working. Four lights might appear to be an overtaking situation. However, it is the headlight pattern that indicates if the road is turning left or right.
5. Make sure car driver had enough rest and should not drink and drive
It applies mostly in the case of chauffeur-driven cab drivers who often work overtime during the peak season to earn more money. This means less rest and a maximum risk of accidents. If you feel your driver hadn’t had sufficient rest which can be indicated to you by his reddish eyes, etc or yawning at times, delaying departure by a couple of hours would be far much better than taking any chances on the road. Also, check if your driver is not driving at night while being drunk as it will make a vulnerable situation on the road causing any unexpected accidents to occur. Ask him to have enough sleep and do not drink while driving at night. This is a basic rule which should not be ignored.
Last but not the least; be more careful about your car’s health before going on a trip during night time. Even a small malfunctioning issue can result in a bad consequence as night-time driving proves to be a risky affair. Also, many roadside service stations don’t work late at night. Hence, it is important to opt for roadside assistance coverage which can come to your rescue in the hour of need.
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