Seven pieces of advice from experienced drivers on night driving: The period from 1 a.m. to 4 a.m. is a high incidence time for traffic accidents. If you must drive at night, the following experiences from seasoned drivers may be helpful to you.
1. Change drivers frequently, and don't let the co-driver rest: During night driving, it's necessary to increase the frequency of changing drivers. Typically, the frequency of changing drivers is every 2-4 hours, but that's during the day; when driving at night, you must change drivers every hour, with a maximum of two hours; even if one driver has rested for a long time during the day and is full of energy, they still need to take turns. The driver who is replaced should take the opportunity to rest in the back seat; if there is only one person in the car, and you have to drive all night, then whenever you see any service area, regardless of its size, you should enter the station and rest for 15-30 minutes before continuing your journey.
2. Reduce driving speed: At night, the roads are filled with trucks of various sizes. When fully loaded, the cargo sometimes blocks the tail lights, and you can only see them when you get very close. Therefore, you should consciously reduce your speed while driving at night, controlling it at 70%~80% of what you would during the day. While driving, if conditions permit, stay as far away from trucks as possible. When overtaking a truck, in addition to switching the headlights to alert, you should also honk the horn to attract the attention of the truck driver. When overtaking a single truck, do it decisively and step on the gas pedal generously; when continuously overtaking trucks, especially those traveling in different lanes with only a slight difference between them, you must stay focused and reserve enough space.
3. Pay attention to "warning" items: If some stones, bricks, or branches suddenly appear on the road without warning, you should immediately lightly press the brake pedal, change lanes, and keep your foot on the brake pedal. These objects might be warning signs because not every vehicle carries a warning triangle. They can only use these things to remind the drivers behind them, seeing them could mean that there's a broken-down vehicle not far ahead.
4. Sudden fog: Turn on the fog lights immediately and reduce your driving speed. If the vehicle in front is driving at a moderate speed, follow it while maintaining a safe distance - this is the most hassle-free approach. When the fog is particularly thick, you must further reduce your speed to around 20 km/h and turn on the hazard lights. In such conditions, try to overtake the vehicle in front as little as possible.
5. Be extremely cautious when borrowing lanes to overtake: Many truck drivers install two high-power searchlights in addition to their original high beams for night safety. When these searchlights shine on you, your vision becomes a whiteout where you can see nothing. When driving on national highways, always keep your foot on the brake pedal ready to brake at any time. When borrowing lanes to overtake, you must be extremely vigilant and ensure that there are no vehicles coming from the opposite direction within a considerable distance. Once you realize that the situation cannot be handled, step on the brakes promptly and return to your original lane.
6. Accept the "baptism" of high beams: When meeting vehicles, switch your high beams to low beams. This is both driving etiquette and a way to enhance driving safety. Remember, you must switch, and also be prepared for the other party not to switch. It’s not necessarily that the other party doesn’t know how to switch, but rather they may have forgotten or intentionally not switched. Initially, these people might switch, but after doing so many times without receiving respect from others, they eventually develop the habit of not switching. For such vehicles, don’t complain, and definitely don’t engage in mutual harm. If something really happens, it will be bad for everyone involved.
7. Use all light sources to clearly see the road conditions: During night driving, relying solely on your own car's lights won't allow you to see all the road conditions. You must use all available light sources to clearly see the road conditions, such as the headlights of oncoming vehicles. This is a skill that requires practice under the premise of ensuring safety. Don’t directly look at the headlights of oncoming vehicles; instead, make good use of their peripheral light. Additionally, when purchasing a vehicle, if your budget allows, try to choose one equipped with xenon headlights, LED light sources, headlight-following-steering technology, and night vision systems, as they greatly help improve nighttime driving safety. (Zhou Weili)