Night Driving Checklist: What to Check Before You Drive After Dark

How to prepare for a night drive

Before you drive after dark, check every light, clean all the glass, switch to dipped headlights at dusk, plan a 15-minute break every two hours and keep a torch and charged phone in the car.

Low light reduces depth perception, peripheral vision and your ability to tell colours apart. Once the clocks go back at the end of October, the evening commute moves into that dark, so a few minutes of preparation pays off for months.

The five checks that matter most:

1. Lights: every bulb works, the lenses are clear and the beams are aimed correctly.
2. Glass: windscreen and windows are clean inside and out, there are no chips in your line of sight and the wipers clear the screen in one pass.
3. Switching on: dipped headlights at dusk, full beam only on empty unlit roads. Daytime running lights light only the front of the car.
4. Eyes: a recent eye test, and a quick word with your optician if oncoming lights dazzle you.
5. Driver: well rested, with a 15-minute stop at least every two hours.

Before you set off: check the car

Walk round the car and check the following at least once a fortnight through the dark months, and again before any long night drive.

• Every bulb works. Test dipped beam, full beam, sidelights, indicators, brake lights, fog lights and number plate lights. Reverse close to a wall, or ask someone to watch while you press the brake pedal.
• Headlight lenses are clear. Yellowed or milky plastic can cut the beam drastically. See the toothpaste hack below for a quick fix, and the UV sealing step that makes it last.
• Headlights are aimed correctly. Badly aimed beams dazzle other drivers, and headlamp aim is part of the MOT. If your car has a levelling dial, adjust it when carrying a heavy load.
• The windscreen is chip-free in your line of sight. The MOT limit is 10mm in a 290mm strip centred on the steering wheel, and 40mm elsewhere in the wiped area. Damage that size fails only if it significantly affects the driver’s view, but repair any chip before it spreads.
• Wipers clear in a single pass. Streaks smear streetlights and oncoming headlights into glare. Replace any blade that leaves bands of water.
• Washer fluid is topped up. Road spray in the dark leaves little margin for an empty reservoir.
• Glass is clean inside and out. Dirt and condensation scatter light and make night glare worse. The inside of the windscreen collects a film from the cabin, so wipe it with a clean microfibre cloth.
• Mirrors are clean and set. Use the night setting or auto-dimming function so following headlights do not dazzle you.
• Dashboard and screens are dimmed. A bright display makes your eyes readjust every time you look back at the road.
• Fuel or charge covers the whole journey. Rural fuel stations and chargers can be far apart and closed late.

Using your lights correctly

Use dipped headlights from dusk, switch to full beam only on empty unlit roads, and keep fog lights for visibility under about 100 metres.

Light	Use it when	Watch out for
Dipped headlights	At night (half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise) except on roads with lit street lighting, in built-up areas, in dull weather and whenever visibility is seriously reduced	Daytime running lights are not a substitute
Full beam	Unlit roads with no traffic ahead or approaching	Dip for oncoming drivers and when following another vehicle. When overtaking, stay dipped until level
Fog lights	Only when visibility is seriously reduced, generally under 100 metres	Switch off when it clears. Rear fog lights dazzle drivers behind and can mask your brake lights
Daytime running lights	Daylight	They light the front only, so from behind a car can be almost invisible
Sidelights and number plate lights	Between sunset and sunrise	Dimmer than dipped headlights

Two habits help most:

• Switch on manually at dusk. Many cars with automatic lights keep only the daytime running lights on until it is properly dark, and the AA warns that automatic systems may also fail to react in heavy rain or fog. Check that the headlight symbol is lit on your dashboard.
• Slow down if you are dazzled. The Highway Code says to slow down, and stop if necessary, when oncoming headlights dazzle you.

Seeing better and handling glare

You see less in the dark, so drive at a speed that lets you stop within the distance your headlights light up.

• Get your eyes tested regularly. Night vision declines with age and some conditions, and an optician can advise on dazzle and anti-reflective lens coatings.
• Keep tinted glasses for daytime. Tinted lenses cut the light reaching your eyes at night.
• Look away from oncoming lights. Glance towards the left-hand edge of your lane instead of staring into the beams.
• Use the mirror’s night setting. Auto-dimming mirrors do this for you.
• Keep every surface clean. Smeared glass turns each light source into a starburst.
• Watch the verges on country roads. If one deer crosses in front of you, expect more to follow close behind, so slow down.
• Scan for people in dark clothing. Pedestrians and cyclists are harder to spot after dark, especially on unlit roads.

Driver checks: tiredness

Take a break of at least 15 minutes after every two hours of driving, and take it before you feel tired. The Highway Code (Rule 91), THINK! and National Highways all give this advice.

• Start rested. Skip long night drives after a poor night’s sleep or a long working day. Sleepiness is most likely in the early hours and again between 2pm and 4pm.
• Count hours awake. Drivers are poor judges of their own tiredness, so think about how long you have been up as well as how far you are going.
• Share the driving when you can, and plan your stops before you leave.
• Stop safely if you feel sleepy. Use a service area or lay-by, never the hard shoulder. Open windows and loud music buy only a few minutes.
• Nap for about 15 minutes after a strong coffee if you need to carry on, and treat sleep as the real cure. If you are still tired, find somewhere to stay overnight.
• Respect microsleeps. At 70mph a four-second lapse covers roughly 125 metres.

Car Hacks tips for night driving

Four cheap fixes from the Car Hacks book make night driving easier, with one extra step on the headlight fix that makes it last.

1. Clear cloudy headlights with toothpaste. Wash the car, mask round the headlight, then rub a smear of toothpaste over the lens with a damp microfibre cloth in small circles, building up pressure. Repeat with more water and less toothpaste, then rinse and dry. Polishing wears away what remains of the factory UV coating, so seal the lens with a UV headlight sealant or use a restoration kit that includes one. Without it the haze returns quickly.
2. Deal with windscreen chips early. A dab of clear nail polish can seal a small chip as a temporary measure and make it less visible. Have a specialist repair any chip in your line of sight before a jolt turns it into a crack.
3. Wrap tights round a damaged wiper arm. If a blade tears off mid-journey, a stocking or tights wrapped round the bare arm stops it scraping the glass and clears water well enough to get you home. Replace the blade as soon as you can.
4. Mount your phone where you can see it. A binder clip on the air vent makes a cheap holder. Set your route and screen dimming before you set off, so you never need to handle the phone on the move.

If you add interior lighting, such as LED strips under the dash, keep it dim and low so it does not reflect in the windscreen. Fit an inline fuse and take advice if you are unsure about 12V wiring.

What to keep in the car for night journeys

Keep a torch, a charged power bank and your breakdown details within reach, because help is harder to arrange in the dark.

• A powerful LED torch (check the batteries each autumn)
• A slim power bank and a charging cable
• Breakdown cover details, insurance details and emergency contacts in a glovebox wallet
• A hi-vis jacket and a warning triangle
• A microfibre cloth and a small bottle of screen cleaner for the inside of the glass
• A warm layer or blanket, plus water and a snack
• A spare pair of glasses if you wear them
• Some emergency cash or a prepaid card

Night driving FAQs

When should I turn my headlights on?

Switch on dipped headlights at dusk. The Highway Code requires headlights at night, which runs from half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise, except on roads with lit street lighting. You must also use them whenever you cannot see much further than 100 metres.

Are daytime running lights enough at night?

Daytime running lights light only the front of the car and are too bright for night use, so the rear of the car stays unlit. Switch to dipped headlights, which also light the tail lights.

When should I use full beam?

Use full beam on unlit roads when no vehicle is ahead or approaching. Dip your lights for oncoming traffic, when following another vehicle, and when overtaking until you are level.

How do I reduce headlight glare when driving at night?

Look towards the edge of your lane instead of into the oncoming beams, use your mirror’s night setting and keep the windscreen clean inside and out. If you are dazzled, slow down and stop if necessary. Ask your optician if glare is a regular problem.

How often should I stop on a long night drive?

Take at least a 15-minute break after every two hours of driving, and stop sooner if you feel sleepy.

Is driving at night more dangerous?

Risk per mile rises after dark because visibility falls, glare increases and tiredness has a bigger effect, even though roads are quieter.

Sources

Main sources:

• Highway Code rules 113 to 116, lighting requirements
• GOV.UK: MOT inspection manual, 3. Visibility
• The AA: cars with faulty lights as the clocks go back
• Safer Journey planner (RoSPA resource list)

Further reading:

• National Highways: 15-minute break every two hours
• Stoneacre: 10 safety tips for driving at night
• Admiral: night driving guide
• Motorpoint: tips for driving in the dark
• RIAS: guide to driving in the dark
• RAC: headlight restoration guide
• Motor Biscuit: toothpaste headlight restoration