Six MORE Tips for Driving at Night

Driving at night can be efficient (less traffic) or just more fun, but it’s also significantly more dangerous than driving during the day. Last year, we gave you six tips for safer night driving. We know there are many night drivers out there, so we talked to our experts to get even more intel about how to drive safely after dark.

1. Adjust your speed, using your headlights as a guide.

If something were to appear at the far edge of your headlights, could you reasonably stop the car in time? If so, you’re doing great! If not, try to slow down to a speed where that’s possible. Because you can’t see as far at night as you can during the day (obviously), it’s important to adjust your speed accordingly.

2. Focus on the sides, not the middle.

When visibility is limited in low light, it’s easier to distinguish objects outside of the car (like other cars, signage or debris) by their edges or outlines than it is by staring at them directly. This goes for oncoming traffic, too. Instead of staring directly into the headlights of oncoming traffic, look slightly downward and to the right for a second (like at the shoulder or line marking).

3. Brake carefully if there are cars behind you.

If you are momentarily blinded by headlights, signage or other bright light, try not to brake suddenly. Instead, drive carefully until your eyes readjust (around six seconds). The drivers behind you may have also been blinded temporarily, and may not notice that you’ve slowed. When you do brake, try lightly tapping the brakes a few times to ensure the drivers behind you are paying attention.

4. Protect your eyes... during the day.

Whether you’ve spent the day outside in the sun or home at the computer, eyestrain during the day can limit your visibility and affect your ability to drive at night. Be sure to wear sunglasses that block harmful UV rays and blue light when you’re out in the sun and consider blue-light-blocking glasses with anti-reflective coating if you’ll be in front of a computer or another screen to reduce digital eye strain.

5. Adjust your mirrors.

If your car doesn’t do it automatically, make sure to switch your rearview mirror to its night setting so that the headlights from cars behind you won’t cause glare. Same for your side mirrors: make sure they are positioned so that you can almost see your car’s exterior in them. Side mirrors angled too far inside can increase blind spots and cause glare from headlights behind you.

6. Protect and expand your vision after dark.

Glasses with an anti-reflective coating will go far in helping prevent glare from streetlights, oncoming traffic, LED signage and more. But at Eagle Eyes, we’re miles ahead. The micro-infused yellow-tinted lenses of our night driving glasses soften harsh lights at night and add noticeable clarity and definition after dark... and the lenses are equipped with an anti-reflective coating. Learn more about how our night driving technology enhances contrast and clarity while cutting glare.