Driving alone at night

GrannyTracey

If anyone is uncomfortable with night driving because of the oncoming headlights . I bought these night vision glasses from Amazon & the are amazing - well worth trying

I have these bought from a local Shell garage, I might look a bit silly with them over my driving specs but they are effective.

Whilst driving home in the dark last night I got to thinking how much I miss cats eyes. Such a wonderful, practical and helpful invention (Percy?). Suppose their demise was yet another crazy economy as is the poor street lighting. A further 'economy' is the lack of road markings. Mine (my drive was rural) were only apparent on patches that had been resurfaced and what a difference it made to comfort particular!y on the verge side.

Allsorts - don't let this fear make you a night-time recluse. Make the house welcoming as others have said, timed lights on, porch light on and leave the radio on as well so there's a welcoming voice/music for you. Then if the actual driving is a problem, get cabs. You will be fine in a cab. I'm sure if two years on from the start of covid you're still here then you have a good self-protection regime.

I can’t judge anything at night - distances, direction of other vehicles. It’s not just the other cars lights! I therefore only go out at night if I’m with someone who’s happy to drive (usually younger).And it’s not nice coming back to an empty house at any time. I leave a light on in the house and have a touch on my key ring so I don’t have to fiddle around by the door trying to find the key hole.

To you all: About a month ago I was returning from perusing a local village and left it later that I had meant. It was drizzling and quite dark and I did feel uncomfortable. As I was driving down quite a fast stretch of road a large lorry was travelling towards me. He was caning it and, at one point, I thought he would scrape me but he didn't. There was a huge noise at the rear, however, and a man had driven into the back of me. I stopped and so did he. I was very shaken and he asked if I was hurt. Told him no and he said "that's good", got back into his car and drove off!! He was around 30, tall and burly and had a full and untidy beard. He was intimidating though he didn't actually menace me. I feel such a fool now for not taking details from him but I was too shaky at the time. This is just an aide memoire ladies, to caution you all to keep your sensible head on at all times!!

p.s. I had braked a little but not suddenly and hard.

I have invested in clip over yellow tinted glasses for night driving! Made a big difference ! New 4 x4 cars have really bright lights which drown my mini ?

If it’s diving at night why not fix some trips with an instructor to boost your confidence.
If it’s coming back to an empty house have lighting from where you park to the front door, have lights in the house on timers and leave the TV / wireless on so there is sound when you arrive

Newquay

I had a (delayed!) routine eye test in the week. I had noticed some glare at night and-as expected-I have the beginnings of cataracts ? so I’ve now bought a pair of tinted anti glare specs. As it was very foggy here Thursday I zoomed choir so haven’t tested them yet.
Also for some time I’ve used the fog lights on unlit roads and they make the side of the road much clearer.
As for reaching home, as others have said, have outside lights on and an inside lamp on a timer too so you don’t go into a dark house.
I also read a tip that on entry you should always call out «hello I’m back!»
Any lift or taxi should also be asked until you’re safely inside too IMHO

You need to be a bit careful about using fog lights Newquay, it's illegal if there is no fog - don't know why, when some modern cars have even brighter headlights

I agree with all the comments. Coming back to the car in a lonely car park gives me the heebie jeebies. Maybe I shouldn’t watch those US TV series where lone women are jumped by maniac men.

I also find that the lights on big 4x4’s are considerably higher up than those in our cars - therefore directly in line with my sight. Will try some night driving glasses.

I have problems with night vision. Was told at last eye test that I had early cataracts but the optician laughed at me when I asked him to get me on the waiting list for surgery as not bad enough

I have more or less given up driving but a couple of weeks ago I had to drive back from an appointment when it was dark. I had about ten miles to drive in the rush hour. The roads are unlit in our area and it is very hilly and windy. The rush hour traffic coming towards me and the pressure from behind made me very tense. I found it very difficult to see, and as I didn't know the route well, it made it even worse.
I eventually got home but was very shaken up. I won't drive at night again.

My distance driving glasses have an antiglare coating and are also reactolite for dealing with excessive sun as well.

In the late 60’s a boyfriend (who I later married) taught me to drive and I’ve have loved being out and about on the open high road ever since . Except recently and at night when spectacles and glare leave me uncertain and nervous. So pleased, therefore for Gransneters’ advice about night vision glasses which I will order and hopefully be confident enough to continue driving to my Zumba classes. Roll on the light nights!

I get a lot of night glare with my varifocal/ varilux lenses. My distance uncoated sports glasses are much better for night time driving. I would be interested in some of the anti glare glasses mentioned by Philippa111. Thank you

I’m ok driving at night mostly but on some roads especially unfamiliar ones that twist and turn it can be really annoying when you slow down to feel safer then you get some idiot right up behind you who wants you to drive at the permitted 60 mph. They are very intimidating and sometimes manage to pass you if they get the chance. Obviously the older you get the more younger drivers are coming on to our roads and some of them don’t seem to have a moment to live and want to drive straight through the cars in front of them.

I recently bought a new car and decided to go for an automatic, my first one. I have found it so much easier to drive as I no longer have to think about changing gears and it’s seems easier to brake at corners and also to accelerate away quickly. Too much so at times as I have to watch my speed! But it really has made driving much easier for me at night as well, one less think to think about.

Malling I was saying the same thing about pavements and roundabout just the other day to my passenger. There used to be white painted kerbs which were easier to see in daylight too. I'm convinced that some people adjust their headlights to shine further up tge Road so they can see more of tge road in front of them but this dazzles oncoming drivers. The adjustable lights are for when carrying a heavy load not for shining further along the road. But some drivers do leave main beam on because they're lazy drivers.

We still have cats eyes. Newly surfaced motorways have super coloured cats eyes now. All for improved safety.

We live in Rural Oxfordshire, no white lines, no cats eyes, no footpaths and no street lighting. But plenty of idiots racing through the lanes ‘forgetting’ to dip their headlights.
When I used to collect MrOops on occasion from work I spent 25 minutes on winding country lanes, I dreaded him asking me, at least when I picked him up he drove us home.

several miles of busy unlit country lane every which way to my market town. Dazzling varifocals. Much slower eye adaptation, which happens as we age. All in all, I decided to stop driving at night. Verges and ditches and hedges here and no cats eyes. It was a good decision, no more dithering and I can do all I want within daylight hours

Oopsadaisy, no better in South Oxfordshire I was driving a long the busy single carriage way A road between Didcot and the A34 a week or two ago after dark, and for most of that the central white lines are so faded they are invisible, there were none on the verge side and no cats eyes. It was only a couple of miles, and quite straight but quite a strain. I could not put my headlights on full because of oncoming traffic.

This si a road I know well, as I have friends in Didcot and live in one of the surrounding villages.

I don’t yet wear glasses so don’t have that problem, but am not at my most relaxed when driving at night, largely because I do so infrequently, unlike when working when I drive long distances after dark and thought nothing of it.

The car we recently bought is automatic, and does a lot for me now including lane control and mitigation., managing the lighting so I don’t have to worry about headlights as well as approaching object warning - in the last resort applying the brakes. All that helps a great deal.

The thread is rather long so I'm sorry if someone has already mentioned this but a couple of my friends are worried about driving in the dark so we now meet at lunchtime or for breakfast.

If you go to the cinema or theatre maybe you can go to matinees instead of in the evening. If you are returning from baby sitting a grandchild, could you just ask to stay the night and drive back in the morning?