Pass Plus - lesson four
Night driving
Driving at night is a different skill
In a built up area with streetlights the difference is not massive but even then
there are some things that you should be aware of
The main difference appears when you leave the streetlights behind and drive into the black stuff.
Night driving on rural roads is as different as you can imagine. A few pointers on the following and you should be fine.
The experience of the instructor is invaluable here as they can point out more to you on the move than you could learn from any book.
Before you ever undertake a journey at night please take the trouble to ensure that your vehicle is safe for the journey. Your lights should come in for particularly close scrutiny.
If they are not properly cleaned and working properly then you should strongly consider if the journey can wait until another time. Also you need to know the proper use for those lights. The next brainless moron that I see with foglights on just because it is dark will not be the first. There is absolutely no excuse for this.
You need good speed perception in the dark as there are less external factors available for you to base your judgements upon.
Handling the effects of dazzle from oncoming traffic is something that you have only previously discussed with your instructor but now you get the practical experience.
Predicting the presence of other more vulnerable road users such as cyclists, pedestrians or a horse rider can be a very useful skill especially if you do not wish to finish a journey with either draped across your bonnet.
As the Pass Plus lessons go I have seen a lot of pupils derive a great deal of benefit from this one.
Few people outside those that live in the countryside properly expect the conditions that exist every single day of the year for those drivers who venture outside of the streetlights.
Who among us can honestly say that they do not fancy going out for a meal at a country pub or visiting a distant town or city. All well and good until you think about coming home, and realise that you are about to have your first experience of driving in the dark unassisted. This is a very valuable lesson.
Alcester, Ansley, Arley, Atherstone, Barwell, Bedworth, Bulkington, Coleshill, Coventry, Earl Shilton, Fenny Drayton, Galley Common, Higham on the Hill, Hinckley, Kenilworth, Leamington Spa, Mancetter, Nuneaton, Polesworth, Rugby, Southam, Stratford upon Avon, Studley, Warwick, Wellesbourne, Whitnash.
