[deadguy25]

Driving as long as it takes, wherever, whenever is awesome.
I love night driving. With family, day driving is the best as we can stop relaxe, rest whenever we want to.

With friends, there aint nothing to beat night driving, especially if one is driving through thick forest areas like MM hills, bandipur, etc wherein one hear or at times get lucky enough to see animals on the prowl!

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by LLL

... Abroad, night driving is a boon as there are less cops to catch you speeding.

Not any longer: Speed Cameras!

[sreenivass]

After doing quite a bit of night driving in the recent past I started to appreciate the good things about day driving

Visibility farther, no high beams, no objects or people in shadows, no circus with broken tarmac.

The couple of good things about night driving less traffic if the time is picked well and cool weather.

[kb100]

Originally Posted by Aditya

I've done both day and night driving on our highways.
I certainly prefer and recommend day driving. Visibility during daytime is much better than night. You can see the road a lot further. In the night, you can only drive as fast as your headlights permit. Also, in a low slung car, you can easily get blinded by the high beam lights of oncoming cars. Again there are some fools who come up behind you at full speed with their headlights undipped, which is again blinding.
On a long drive, start early, take sufficient breaks to keep yourself relaxed and stop by dusk.
In an SUV, things are not so bad since you're sitting at a height. Even then, I'll recommend day driving on our highways.

300 %!!

Night driving in today's time and age - with everyone going overboard with their wattages - is sheer torture!!

Edit: I am one of them too - I have been forced into a Rallye 130/100 just to counter - and am finding even this isn't enough!

[Surprise]

Originally Posted by Aditya

Again there are some fools who come up behind you at full speed with their headlights undipped,

That very true. Last weekend I was severely pained by a VAN tailgating with lights on high. Though I let him past, within few kms he will be behind me (random stopping)

[laluks]

I prefer night driving while driving to Trivandrum. The highways in kerala, in my opinion has quite a lot of shops on both sides through out and people just cross like that. Not to mention the cycles and two wheelers in day time.

Timing also makes a lot of difference. any time before 5AM is best in those highways. Once reached Trivandrum in 12 hours. 10PM to 10AM.

Nowadays the bright lights and four laning of highways makes it a dangerous night drive..Avoiding it now, though I prefer night driving.

[nithz]

Day driving is better than night driving at night our visibility is ristricted till the light reaches ,i feel the best thing is to start early in the morning so in case ther is a breakdown or a puncture or something like that we can still manage it especially when we travel with family, but with friends anything chalega

[gogo_gogo]

Depends
1. If you have dark sun film , In night you will find bit problem in City , But in Highway its OK to drive.
2 In Night on highway with road-divider , always good.
3. On hill/Ghati Area, NIght time is always good. Light help to recognize on-coming vechiles.
4. Overall we should not continue[if you are] drive b/w 3 Am - 5 Am, people feel more sleepy.

[DKG]

On Indian highways night driving is pure torture what with the truckers driving always on full beam. The risk of accidents is too high as invariably we have too many variables encountered, like sometimes the road simply ends and a diversion created with no proper signage or stones placed on the road by truckers during their "pit stops". The list of hazards is endless.

I always follow a simple rule of driving during the day and breaking journey when the sun sets. That way I enjoy the drive more, am always rested with a good night's sleep and never need to worry about the added risks of night driving

[sridharps]

Inside the city, night driving( I mean late night) is better - simply because there are fewer vehicles and no traffic snarls. You can drive faster.
But you got to be mad to be driving on the highways in the night. It is ok to be mad if you are a truck driver when nothing much can happen to you. But on a car or worse, bike - well, best of luck.
I also hate night driving on highways because you don't get to enjoy the scenery. Some of my best driving experiences have been at the crack of dawn. It is always a cathartic experience for me to watch the sun rise in front of me, when driving on the highways, and to witness the sudden burst of illumination. It is a big high for me in life.

[pgginish]

I would prefer to do night driving in Kerala. The road in kerala are filled with two wheelers and bycicles during day time.

[man23ish]

For me, its driving at night absolutely for me for the following reasons.

1. The weather is cool, no need for AC, improved F.E and more pickup speed at Night.
2. No two-wheelers, autorickshaws, bullock-carts, animals on the road to slow you down.
3. Generally less traffic than during the day-time and long stretches of empty roads.

However, I find the following special tips useful -

1. Take a good rest 3-4 hours of good sleep before your journey also advise your co-drivers/ passengers to do the same.
2. Take a good stock of chewing-gums (The chewing-action prevents sleep).
3. Never travel alone, have 1-2 people along with you, preferably those who can drive.
4. In the night, prepare for a good conversation with your front seat passenger. Never allow the front seat passenger to doze off. (Incase he is feeling sleepy, ask him to swap positions with someone who is willing to stay awake). This is done usually to avoid psychic mirroring (when you yawn, the person who is watching you also yawns).
5. Now-a-days, the quality of National highways and even state-highways being good, night driving is not usually a problem.
6. If you see an approaching vehicle, switch off the high-beam and use dipper at night at a distance of about 300-500 meters. Chances are the approaching vehicle will reciprocate your gesture, if not slow down and let the vehicle pass.. Usually truck drivers prefer driving in herds at night, so you will see a group of 10-15 trucks driving and then there is no traffic for an extended period.
7. If you are bothered by the head-lights of trucks, prefer following a bus/ another car by following their tail-lights. If possible at all, prefer travelling in groups. I prefer following the a Volvo buses at night for efficient and fast travelling.
8. There are trucks and other vehicles who do not have tail-lights or have dust/dirt all over the tail-lamps. Be particularly alert for those vehicles. Also ensure that your vehicle has sufficient reflectors at the back. And be careful where you park your vehicle for a break. Ensure to put your parking lights on.
9. Avoid driving between 3:00 am and 6:00 am, stop by at some Petrol Pump and take rest for an hour or two.
10. Take sufficient tea-breaks between your journey.
11. If you have multiple drivers, switch drivers at every break.

All the best..

[Aztec]

Aaaah!!! finally my first post on the team-bhp forum (I've been reading this forum for so long I feel like I already know all of you guys.

Anyways, back to topic. I think for me its evening driving in the plains and night driving in the hills. I've been driving to my hometown in Himachal, from Delhi, for about 10 years now and i've kind of fine tuned my travel timelines over the years.. It's more like.. start out at 4 in the evening from Delhi, cross Chandigarh by 7:30 and hit the foot hills by 8:30 or 9.

Driving in the plains is much easier in the day as you don't have to worry about people driving with their high-beams on and blinding you, while high beams in the hills at night help you judge the twists and turns better.

Also, being a smoker, its much easier to drive with the windows open during the evening/night, lest wifey kill me for shutting down the A/C time and again.

Cheers

[pjay_in]

I like to start at 5; not too early, still before daybreak. And drive till lunchtime, maybe 1 or 2 pm. If it's a longer drive, it becomes a bit boring after lunch.

[dadu]

Driving without break, especially during the hours between midnight and 6am (and between 2pm and 4pm, although this is a smaller trough), can be devastating. Unfortunately, many people do not think that falling asleep at the wheel can or ever will apply to them. They are wrong.

Before anyone ever attempts to drive long distances without stopping for the night, he or she needs to be aware of what will happen and should try to approach it from the safest avenue possible. These are some hints for safe distance driving. They are only hints however, and you yourself always need to be aware of your state of mental-tiredness. You also need to be humble enough to change drivers or take a break as soon as you feel you might need to.

1. Carpool with at least three other drivers that you can trust. Four drivers is passable; three cannot make it with a minimum of danger. Trust the other drivers to stay awake and to know when they are too tired to continue safely.
2. Sleep in shifts with these others; don't be afraid to wake one of them up if you feel like you will fall asleep behind the wheel - he or she would much rather be awoken than dead.
3. Always have two people awake at any time - the freshest one driving and the other talking (quietly) with the driver. The passenger should keep his or her eyes open for any sign of fatigue or sleepiness.
4. Only drive for 2-3 hours before taking a 15-minute (or more) break. Switch drivers; stop for fuel. Move around - dance in the gas station's parking lot, or do cartwheels at the 24-hour fast food joint. At least make a few laps around the building and breathe deeply. If each driver drives in this manner for two hours, four drivers will last from 9pm until 6am the next morning - daytime driving (with some rest) shouldn't be the hard part.
5. Try to get at least one person to sleep by 9pm, so he/she will be rested for the 11-1 o'clock shift, which would otherwise be attempted without sleep.
6. Remember that it is very difficult to sleep in a moving car. You won't be as rested as usual after 4-6 hours of semi-sleep. Plan accordingly.
7. Follow all the laws of the country and/or state that you are in. They exist for a reason! Wear your seatbelt (even if you are asleep); seatbelts save lives. And don't drink and drive! Drinking only one alcoholic beverage can have the deleterious effect of three or four drinks without a good full night's rest.
8. When you drive, make sure to check your mirrors, even if you think that there is no-one coming. (The other vehicle might surprise you; being unexpectedly buffeted by a truck is not a good or a safe experience.) Whenever you pass someone, signal the lane change - make sure that they realise you are moving over. You are doing what you can to be completely awake at 3am; you cannot know if the other vehicles are.
9. If you ever exercise poor judgement, or are late in returning to the correct lane after passing someone, the passenger needs to call attention to it and suggest a switch in drivers or a midnight nap.

Research has shown that people are generally consciously aware that they are becoming tired, and instead of stopping, try to 'fight off' falling asleep in a variety of ways. These next bullets are warning signs.

If you find yourself doing any of these things or anything else along these lines to stay awake, or you doubt your driving abilities at 4am more than you doubted them at 4pm (even a small bit more), stop the car. It isn't a sign of weakness; it's a sign of prudence.

• Singing or bouncing in your seat.
• Eating or drinking to get that extra bit of caffeine, or to keep something in your body moving.
• Stretching.
• Letting the temperature drop to keep it out of your 'comfort zone'.

Most importantly, if you do not think you can make it, don't be afraid to pull off the road. Take a few hours' nap. You'll get there a lot slower (if at all) if you are in a wreck.

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