Tips on night motoring

Before setting for journey, ensure the following: Light: Ensure that all vehicle lights are functional. The head lamps, the rear lights, the trafficators and parking lights must all be okayed, and the head lamps should be properly aligned. Wipers: Ensure that your wipers are working as these may be required to wipe off dew drops […]

Before setting for journey, ensure the following:

Light: Ensure that all vehicle lights are functional. The head lamps, the rear lights, the trafficators and parking lights must all be okayed, and the head lamps should be properly aligned.

Wipers: Ensure that your wipers are working as these may be required to wipe off dew drops of water from your windscreen. This is also a good preparation for driving in the rain. You can imagine the stress you will go through if your visibility is further compounded with misty wind shield while driving in the night.

Windscreen: For clear visibility, you should properly wash and clean your windscreen with a dry duster. Let your wipers be cleared of unnecessary stickers and other pasted materials. Some vehicle operators go about with their wind shields serving as mobile adverts bill broads.

Tyres: Check your tyres and the spare. Ensure they are of at least 2mm tread level for proper grip. A lot of vehicle operators use very bad tyres as the spare forgetting the fact that the spare tyre can always be “called to duty” anytime. The little time or the few distances the bad spare tyre is used for could be fatal. Be careful with the condition of your spare tyre.

Braking system: Your braking system should be good. Understanding that your thinking, braking and stopping distances increase on night driving is very important. Thinking distance is the distance covered when there is an emergency requiring application of brakes and your brain tells you to step on the brake pedal and the time you actually march the brake.

When you depress the brake pedal, the vehicle does not stop instantly. The distance covered between the time you stepped on your brake pedal and when the vehicle finally stops, is the braking distance. The combination of both the thinking and braking distances is the stopping distance. Poor visibility, effectiveness of the braking system, fatigue, alertness, the road conditions among others, affect the stopping distances.

Vehicle condition: Do not put a rickety vehicle or a moving coffin on the road in the night. Ensure that your vehicle satisfies the minimum vehicle safety standards. The perilous economic situation in the country is not an excuse to commit suicide. When your vehicle breaks down at night, you are at the risk of attacks by criminals. Rickety vehicles are like time bombs, ready to explode anytime. Do not turn your vehicle to a casket.

Pre-trip mental questions: Ask yourself if you are prepared for the trip. Consider your health, vehicle and road conditions. Be honest in answering questions like am I fit for this journey? Can I drive all through the distances? Is my sight okay for the night movement? Is the vehicle road-worthy? Won’t I sleep off in the course of the journey? Do I have all the vehicle accessories and requirements like good spare tyre, fire extinguishers and caution signs among others? Am I properly licensed to drive the vehicle? Is the vehicle licensed? Is it a company vehicle? What is the company’s policy on night movement? Any insurances policy restrictions, on night journeys? So many questions, requiring positive answers.