Many drivers are reluctant to take to the wheel at a variety of times – this may be when faced with a motorway, during rush hour, or the dreaded ‘night driving’ on unfamiliar roads and in potentially treacherous conditions. Some quarters are suggesting that young drivers should be banned from driving at night or driving with alcohol in their vehicle.
Of course, this doesn’t make total sense – not every new driver is young or indeed completely inexperienced. As I’ve spoken about before, I believe that a much more sensible approach is a mandatory post test ‘familiarisation’ sessions to show new drivers how to deal with a variety of conditions. This way, the driver in question will have at least some experience of what to expect, the types of hazards and how to cope when out and about.
Ultimately, driving at night reduces our main sense – sight – and by doing so we’re restricted in terms of reaction times, even with things like Xenons and Adaptive Forward Lighting. Nonetheless, it can be safe as long as speed is governed by the road conditions rather than the absolute limit and the driver remains alert, aware and is knowledgeable about the types of hazards they could face.
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