[vigneshnr]

By nature I'm Diurnal - I'm full of energy in the day. So preference is day time drive.
I believe one should choose the time of travel based on ones comfort.

Even if I need to travel by night I would start early in the evening and try reach the destination before my 'alertness' level start dipping. Any statistic would say darkness & accidents have good correlation - right.

Some times it is unavoidable to drive at night.

Here are some tips which I follow for night driving - Should be helpful for fellas like me

- Good soothing music. Though I listen to varied genres. I feel Classical / melody genre keeps me alert
- car perfume - citrus fragrance is very helpful - works like wonder
- mints & gums - polos, happydents
- A companion preferably who is nocturnal on the navigator seat
- slightly upright but comfortable seating posture
- On the road I choose a car in front of me as my escort & put my car behind it. So that I can trail safely at a distance.

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Otherwise on my regular long journeys, I start by 4am and enjoy the serene drive !!

[sudev]

End of the day - pun intended - driving is pleasure if you have a good car and properly aimed head lights. Yesterday I started from Chandigarh at dusk and reached Delhi in about similar time as I did while going during day.

Personally I prefer night drives as "local" traffic thins out and so you can keep more steady pace.

[Sudhindra]

I prefer night driving, but i ensure my body is given proper rest before the start of driving.

Also, i am not much into day driving as i get mild headache after couple of hours and get too much tired.

[Lightening-Fast]

Mainly a day light driver. Not for any specific reason, but just that i had very less chances for night driving. A month ago i did Sirsi-Bangalore stretch in about 7 hours and that was all night driving. I must say i quite liked it. So if you have someone who is awake with you and can keep talking, night driving is generally less stressful

[sudev]

Thanks to landslides, on NH1 connecting Kashmir, ended up doing a all night drive yesterday to get to Delhi. Loved the drive despite being part of convoy of vehicles. It was interesting that we used wireless/CB radio to keep up constant chatter. My be when CB becomes more popular - it does not need any license now - night drives will become even more pleasurable.

[Dieseldunk]

Driving for me is ok by both times (night and day). You need to know art of day and night driving as it always helps.

Some rules I have laid down for myself (especially night driving)
(1) be sure of the route (for a night drive) so that the enchanting coffee/tea is within calling distance
(2) never drive alone (inside the car or on the road) at night be sure to have some bus or car ahead or behind you
(3) never trust your instinct too much, allow logic and sense of judgement to dominate towards safer options whilst doing the night drive
(4) night driving is very inviting but also has that many dangers lurking around
(5) trust in God but do lock your doors from inside for night travels
(6) do not hurry a few minutes does not have more value than your life


Cheers
Prasad

[trave11er]

Originally Posted by Dieseldunk

(2) never drive alone (inside the car or on the road) at night be sure to have some bus or car ahead or behind you

I agree with this point to an extent. We cannot ensure that there is some other vehicle on the road throughout our journey.
In some cases, we have to be very alert if a group of vehicles are travelling along with us. Faced such a situation when we were coming back to Pune from Tamhini ghat at night. Suddenly at a point we saw a group of 5-6 bikes overtook us and went ahead towards the ghat. We were bit cautious and waited at a hotel for sometime till we thought it is safe to go ahead.

[Siddy]

I love to drive during the day only on a highway!
The simple reason being visibility. I enjoy the scenery around and if there is very little traffic around I make it a point to switch off the AC and roll down the window. Simply to enjoy the fresh cool air.

In Pune the traffic is ever growing, I prefer city driving in the night !

[swiftnfurious]

I find night driving much more relaxing in a proper 2 lane roads. On those undivided highways, it a real pain. The lower traffic definitely helps. I find overtaking to be a bit more safer in the night when you can flash your headlights and intimate the vehicle in the front. I do honk when I overtake in the day light, but it still makes me extra cautious as I notice drivers don't pay much attention in the ORVMs.

[sudev]

The scenario about group of vehicles overtaking : Why were you scared? Did they do something or made some aggressive gestures?? This could well be during day time.

[condor]

Originally Posted by Dieseldunk

(2) never drive alone (inside the car or on the road) at night be sure to have some bus or car ahead or behind you

With the safety concerns one has these days, there is no guarantee that the other car will stop to help you in case of a problem. But it still helps - if you are behind - to use the other car as a pilot.

[trave11er]

Originally Posted by sudev

The scenario about group of vehicles overtaking : Why were you scared? Did they do something or made some aggressive gestures?? This could well be during day time.

No, they didn't do anything. But Tamhini ghat is infamous for dacoity and such incidents. It was around 1am and not much traffic on the road,so we thought its better to let the group pass, why take chances .

[S5157]

I regulary drive between Bangalore and Kochi ( twice a month). I do part night and day driving to ensure that I cross the kerala border before 6:00. This helps to beat the traffic jams on the single lane highways of kerala. I prefer not to do whole night drives because of the fatigue following day.

[Sommos]

It is not that I travel long distance regularly, but when we have the oppurtunity to do so maybe twice a year, I love to drive at night. There is no issues with making an early morning start and driving in the day and I'm fully comfortable with it, but given an option I would always prefer to start at night and cover a major part of the journey before 7:00 or 8:00 in the morning, provided the roads are safe to take at night (I mean no naxal threat or anything of that sort). Major part of Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Maharashtra are safe to travel at night, but I would never risk to take a night journey in Bihar and Jharkhand.

I do this because I find night driving less strenuous as you can avoid the local traffic and the notorios autowallahs. Offcourse I have my own set of rules and follow them strictly while driving at night.

[anandpadhye]

Originally Posted by Sommos

I love to drive at night. There is no issues with making an early morning start and driving in the day and I'm fully comfortable with it, but given an option I would always prefer to start at night and cover a major part of the journey before 7:00 or 8:00 in the morning
...

I do this because I find night driving less strenuous as you can avoid the local traffic and the notorios autowallahs. Offcourse I have my own set of rules and follow them strictly while driving at night.

Absolutely.
Same with me.
BTW, this means clean and scratchless windshield, and working wipers are very important for me - something most of my friends and relatives undervalue and when the need arises they discover that their vehicles are simply unfit for a night journey and they start blaming our road and traffic conditions for not being able to drive in the night :-)