Hitting the Road After Dark: 8 Tips for Safe Driving at Night

When you slide behind the steering wheel for a nighttime drive, you face a different driving experience than you would on a morning commute or during an afternoon running errands. Lower visibility, poor street lighting and inadequate lighting at crosswalks and intersections all contribute to traffic and pedestrian accidents after dark.

The nighttime driving fatality rate is three times the daytime fatality rate, according to the Federal Highway Administration. One reason for the increased nighttime risk is that cars—especially those driving at high speeds in the dark—may not be able to stop by the time their vehicle’s headlights illuminate road hazards, curves, construction and warning signs or cones. Other risks of night driving include driver drowsiness and ultra-bright headlights from oncoming cars.

At The Hartford, we’re here to equip you with the information (and coverage) you need to drive with confidence the next time you buckle up after dark. Here are seven tips for a safer nighttime driving experience.

1. Get an Annual Eye Exam

Having good eyesight and wearing prescription glasses to correct vision can help you avoid accidents during the day or night. Night driving especially requires excellent vision, since drivers can only see about 200 to 250 feet ahead using normal headlight beams and up to around 500 feet using high beams.

Visual acuity (the measurement of how sharply you see distant objects) and visual field (the width your eye is able to see when focused on a central point) are two of the most important factors for safe driving, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Your eye doctor can measure both and let you know of any medical conditions—such as glaucoma, cataracts, macular degeneration or diabetic retinopathy—that can make night driving more dangerous.

2. Inspect Your Vehicle

Before you hit the road for a nighttime drive, inspect your car’s exterior. Make sure tires are aired up properly and headlights, taillights and brake lights are clean and working properly so you and other drivers can see one another’s vehicles in the dark. The last thing you want is an auto accident due to burned-out bulbs or to get stranded at night because you didn’t notice a tire was going flat.

If headlights or rear lights are dirty, clean them with a soft, damp cloth. If bulbs are out, replace them. When a tire is low, fill it and keep an eye on it, checking air pressure again after you arrive at your destination or somewhere on en route on a longer trip.

3. Keep Your Windshield Clean

Your car’s windshield provides the central line of vision for the road ahead, so make sure it’s clean before heading out at night. If the glass is dirty, take a spin through the car wash, or spritz and clean with glass cleaner and a paper towel.

Don’t forget to clean your interior windshield, which can become cloudy and grimy due to cabin moisture on humid days, dust and allergens from cabin vents or cigarette smoke. While you’re at it, make sure your rear glass is also sparkling clean so your view isn’t impaired.

4. Learn Defogging 101

Cold or rainy weather can fog up your windshield fast due to different temperatures inside and outside the vehicle. If your inside windshield becomes foggy with condensation due to cold or rainy weather before or during a nighttime drive, you must reduce the fog immediately as a foggy windshield reduces visibility.

In the winter, hot, dry air will clear fog. Warm the interior air by turning on the heater. Once the car is warm inside, turn on the air conditioner to draw out air moisture. Make sure your car’s air recirculation button isn’t set to just recirculate air in the cabin, as that will impede defogging.

For windshield fog due to rain, hitting your dashboard defrost button will likely clear the windshield quickly.

5. Look Away From Bright Headlights

We’ve all been surprised by ultra-bright oncoming headlights that can temporarily blind us or cause glare that could lead to an accident. In fact, headlights on vehicles have become brighter over the years as many have light-emitting diode (LED)and high-intensity (HID) headlights, which are brighter than the standard halogen bulbs used in many new cars.

When that happens, the National Safety Council recommends turning your eyes away and toward the line on the right side of the road. To be considerate of other drivers, make sure your own headlights are aligned to shine on the street rather than straight at the eyes of oncoming drivers and dim brights when other cars approach.

To help dim headlight glare from oncoming vehicles or those behind, install anti-glare film to your car’s rearview and side mirrors. Some newer car models may already have auto-dimming mirrors. When you purchase a new vehicle, you may be able to order auto-dimming mirrors as an accessory add-on.

6. Don’t Drive Drowsy

One of the biggest safety risk factors while driving at night is drowsy driving. Most nighttime drowsy driving crashes happen between midnight and 6 a.m., according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which reported 246 fatal nighttime drowsy driving crashes in 2023.

Tips to avoid drowsy driving from the NHTSA include:

1. Get seven to eight hours of sleep a night.
2. Avoid alcoholic beverages before driving. Driver alcohol impairment was a factor in 55% of fatal crashes between 9 p.m. and 11:59 p.m., according to the most recent Traffic Safety Facts 2022 report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. So, if you’re going to drive at night, drink a non-alcoholic beverage instead.
3. Review prescription and over-the-counter medications information; avoid driving after taking those that can make you sleepy. If you take the meds, wait to drive after their effects wear off as recommended by the drug manufacturer.
4. Watch for signs of drowsiness if you must drive at night. Pull into a safe, well-lit area for a nap if you’re drowsy. On long trips, take a break to stretch and walk around every couple of hours to stay alert.
5. Keep snacks such as energy bars and fresh veggies and fruit in the car to help you stay awake while driving at night.
6. Keep bottled water in the car to help you stay hydrated and alert.
7. Spray an invigorating essential oil such as peppermint, eucalyptus, lemon or rosemary to wake your senses and give you a burst of energy.

7. Take a Defensive Driving Course

Revving up your defensive driving skills benefits both daytime and nighttime driving safety, especially as reaction times and other aging factors can affect your driving abilities. Call your insurance company to ask for an approved defensive driving course that covers nighttime driving. Bonus: they may even offer a discount on your car insurance premiums for taking the course.

8. Let Yourself Adjust Slowly to Night Driving

If you’re not used to night driving, you can get more comfortable by driving to destinations less than a mile away at night until your eyes and reflexes adjust to night driving. Try quick runs to the grocery store, pharmacy or another nearby destination until you feel safe driving at night.

Make Nighttime the Right Time to Drive

Following these tips on your next evening drive could prevent an accident or even save your life. If you’re not used to night driving, you can get more comfortable by driving to destinations less than a mile away at night until your eyes and reflexes adjust to night driving.

You can also apply many of these same tips to daytime driving for a safer experience any time of day.