[asdon]

It really depends on individual level. I prefer night drive because I can reach my destination early, the road is free of 2/3 wheelers. Very less traffic jams, less noise on road so the drive becomes more relaxing. But to enjoy all these you need confidence and a bit more planning.

[rk_sans]

Originally Posted by sudev

Pass with caution! Blog Archive A howto on driving at night

Awesome information.
I do prefer night drive most of the time. Generally i would start very early morning say like 3 am based on the total distance that needs to be travelled and try to cover most of the distance before dawn breaks in. And of course keeping in mind the points mentioned by you.

[sudev]

0300hrs is a good time to start. Most of the trucks stop around that time for a refresher nap so traffic is at lightest. But dawn brings up the problem of milch animals and rural folks darting on to the road. Beware!

[somubj]

I prefer night driving; less traffic, minimal or no two wheelers, better weather, road visibility is poor but can be compensated by better headlamps on your car. Just ensure that your vehicle is in good shape, you have taken proper rest before you head out, keep a proper tool kit in the car, spare wheel, and enough to eat and drink.

I normally plan my drives such that i reach my destination by morning, this way, i avoid most of the traffic, on the highway as well as in the home and destination cities.

[sbraj]

Sharing some observations from my recent drive. These are inspired by Sudev's blog.
1) In night while overtaking another vehicle, the light of that vehicle will cause a shadow of my vehicle in front. Initially the shadow will be towards my right and then it starts straightening in front. At this time, I can come back to the left lane. Earlier I used to look into the left side ORVM to see whether I can come back to the lane. But the shadow position will indicate this, and my eyes are not strained by looking into a bright light source.

2) During day time, I found that sometimes two trucks are moving together in front. I would notice only the last truck and start overtaking only to realize that one more truck is moving closely in front. The shadows of these trucks will tell me how many are there. Of course, this depends on the position of the sun.

[nairrk]

Night driving is good but one should be more careful as you will be encountering those trucks moving without tail lamps. 100pct visibility may not be there comparing to the day time. But less traffic, no pollution (either air or noise) will make you enjoy the drive and will be able to reach the destination much faster.

[jigbarai]

Day driving anytime. Avoid 11pm-6am.

Need to get my 40 winks of rest thru the night, to ensure the next day is useful/productive.

Dont see the point of driving thru the night and resting thru the day, but thats just me.

[sudev]

Originally Posted by jigbarai

Need to get my 40 winks of rest thru the night, to ensure the next day is useful/productive.

Dont see the point of driving thru the night and resting thru the day, but thats just me.

Everyone needs that! The only point being if you enjoy night drive make it enjoyable and safe usins tips shared here.

[ajitkumarlb]

Day driving on the Highways, especially the ones that don't have medians. Night driving in the city.

(Though night driving on the highways has one advantage of better light signaling but subject to others reciprocating and not using high beam)

Myth or Fact: One of my distant uncle once told me if you are driving in the night on a high way, pop in to your mouth something hard (shirt button) to chew on - that will keep you awake!

Well I did try it result inconclusive! I prefer to pull in to a safe place like a petrol bunk on the high way take a few min' break and then move on if night driving is unavoidable.

[esskay08]

What about precautions for driving in the evening within city limits? I am a new driver and have not driven around in the evening so far.

In a city like Mumbai, evenings mean traffic. How does one counter high-beams and also cars and bikes overtaking or cutting lanes in the night?

Can the pros recall their checklists when taking the car out after sundown in the city?

Thanks in advance

[Sandy28]

I do night drives if I am driving on a familiar route that I have already done many times. For eg. any strethc on the Ahmedabad - Mumbai route. This way I can avoid the day traffic, pollution, heat etc. Also since I know the route well, I konw where to stop for fuel or food. But I avoid night driving straight after a full day at work as it can be really tiring and streneous.

When driving on unfamiliar routes or first time routes, I avoid night driving. Instead target to start around 3-3.30 am so that I can cover a good distance before the traffic starts to thicken and also the temperature rises. Also since the route is new for me, I wont miss out on the beautiful landscape and any interesting places to see on the way.

[dockap]

Night driving when i go for a short drive in the city with family free of the traffic jams and pollution of the day.
Always day driving for long highway drives. I have seen and heard of enough and more cars rear ending parked/broken down trucks on highways during night time with fatal results.

[Floating Axle]

I believe either day or night as far as driver is in senses it is safe.

For highway night driving will be pleasure on roads with seperators. (like expressways)
Also certain routes wherein incoming traffic is nil is enjoyable. (I remember travel to Goa from Pune starting at 11.30 pm)
But you can guarantee your own senses. What about others? And here lies danger of night driving.

I prefer driving early say 06.00 - 10.00 and evening 16.00 - 20.00

I avoid driving at very early hrs( 04.00) And immediate after lunch. Both timings are prone to sleep.

[Masda]

I second to all the views that have been shared previously on this topic. Personally, as much as possible I prefer driving at night for the following reasons:

• Less traffic
• Cooler conditions -that are conducive to the vehicle and the driver alike. I've got some great FE figures on night drives on the same roads as compared to day drives
• I've generally observed more folks following rules during night than in day. (this takes into account lesser/no bikers, pedestrians, cyclists trying to cross during the road from nowhere)
• Truckers seem to be a more disciplined lot (again from personal experience)
• My co-passengers (wife and kid) usually are fast asleep, so I can listen to whatever genre I want.
• You can actually ENJOY the drive!

These are just my views. Conventional wisdom does say that you drive during day-time for better road visibility and support in case of any eventuality (God forbid!).

That said, I opt for driving at night only when:

1. I have had a nice sound sleep during the day preceding the night drive
2. I am sure about my vehicle's reliability--I would normally get my car serviced (if due) or at least perform a check on all the vital fluids myself. I've got some useful tips from http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/owning...road-trip.html
3. I'm sure there's going to be no fog, rain, or any other hazardous road conditions.
4. I am 100% sure about the route I'll be taking. I would definitely avoid dacoit prone areas! As a normal practice, before going on a long planned drive (read vacation), I would try to go over the route at least a couple of times virtually. Use tools like Google maps to have a good sense of directions/landmarks. Remember, while traveling at night road signs/landmarks may be your only guides.

PLEASE NOTE: for driving at night, you've got to be doubly alert and cautious. Do not attempt night drives even at the slightest hint of fatigue or doubtful road/weather conditions. Do not even attempt crossing speed limits or breaking any traffic rules. Mind you, that's the biggest temptation when you see the open highway. At night, the margin for any human error may be even less!

Always remember the golden rule - SAFETY FIRST!

[breezydrive]

Obviously, night driving is riskier on 2 lane highways than 04/ 06 lanes (with median). However, one has to make sure that one doesn't feel sleepy during Night driving!

Recently, I drove in our ANHC from DEL - JAMMU (to & fro - 1200km/ 9 hours one way) during night without adequate rest in between . I was extremely sleepy (feeling fatigued) during the return journey.As NH-1A / NH-1 are under construction , so during my return leg, I chose to shift my route to a 2 lane road for about 130km section of road ((to avoid Jalandhar - Ludhiana) between Dasuya - Hoshiarpur - Khanna). The traffic was heavy, the oncoming lights completly blinded me for next 3 hours.
Within half an hour of driving on this road, I was desperate to reach the 4-lane NH1 at the earliest. The average speed was just 43 km/ hr in this section instead of 75 km/ hr achieved during day time during my various trips through this section.Surprisingly, on this section, I forgot about the fatigue, and my mind & the body were very alert to all the situations (eg.overtaking while the lights from oncoming vehilces also hit you).

Hitting the NH1 after 3 hours of blind driving was a big relief. The vehicle speed along with the comfort levels increased (no gear shifting/ no planning to overtake required). The car got to the cruising speeds of 90-110 km/ hr, after 10 minutes to NH 1, I started feeling sleepy. With my destination (DELHI) still 250 odd km away, I drove into mc'd at Rajpura, had some fries & a coffee so as to remain alert. Fifteen minutes later, I was back on the road, again cruising. My mind feeling sleepy, but trying to keep eyes wide open, I continued to drive. Minutes later, I woke up from a slumber (unconsciously fell into), only to find trucks & trucks in all the lanes in front of me (100- 150 meters distance with my car at 90km/hr). I realized, it was a toll plaza in front (Shambhu border). Bang on the brakes, this was my first reaction! ABS came to play, Car stopped just before the trucks, my legs were shaking for a moment. a live current ran through the entire body & this state of shock lasted for good ten minutes. God saved me that day!


The idea of sharing my experience on the forum was that one should not drive even with a slightest hint of fatigue/ sleepiness.

Based upon my experience so far, I think the best time to venture out is 3:00 am & end the trip (read highways) by 09:30 pm