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What You Should Know

Not surprisingly, night driving is considered to be one of the most dangerous times for young drivers.  Not only do you have reduced visibility and visual distractions such as oncoming headlights, you also have the added dangers of drinking, drugs and other risky activities that some teenagers may engage in after dark.  The statistics about inexperienced drivers and accidents at night show that they are up to 7 times more likely to be involved in a fatal  crash between 9pm and 6am.  The issue has been brought to the State Government’s attention, and they are considering banning first-year P-plate drivers from driving between 12am and 5am, and prohibiting them from having more than one passenger aged in their late teens.

As a first time driver, there are a number of things you can do to ensure your safety and that of your passengers while driving at night.  One of the most important of these is to make sure you receive proper training in night time driving while undertaking driving lessons.  Knowing and understanding the risks associated with driving after dark can help prevent many accidents, and being taught these early on during driver instruction will set the driver up for a lifetime of safe and responsible driving habits.

A professionally qualified driving instructor will be the best person to teach you safe driving techniques designed for hazardous conditions.  These can include:

  • How to use headlights and minimise glare from oncoming headlights.
  • How to keep an eye out for pedestrians and bicycles – a particular problem in city driving.
  • Planning a driving route before embarking on the trip, taking note of any difficult sections of road.  This is particularly important if you have not driven the route before.
  • How to maintain your car to ensure maximum driving visibility – keeping your windscreen and mirrors clean at all times is critical.
  • Avoiding any distractions in the car such as mobile phones.
  • Correct Use of the System of Car Control

Getting your licence in South Australia means that learners need at least 15 hours of supervised night time driving experience.  Many Adelaide driving schools offer night time driving practice as part of their driving programs for learners.  These lessons are invaluable as the student will be exposed to driving after dark while under the supervision of an experienced instructor.  The other advantage of practising at night with a professional driving instructor is that the car will have dual controls, meaning that no harm will come to the driver while learning. We offer night driving in Campbelltown, Rostrevor, Prospect and heaps of other Eastern Suburbs of Adelaide.

The more practice a novice driver undertakes in difficult driving conditions, the better they will be prepared to cope with anything that’s thrown their way, whether it be navigating their way around slippery city roads at night or country driving.

Safe Driving

Kim