planning long trip, you should not count on the fact that at night you can cover the same distance as during the day in a shorter time. claims that most of the traffic accidents occur at night and in the evening, both on city streets and on highways intercity communication. Many drivers mistakenly believe that due to less traffic Vehicle at night, you can safely and quickly drive a fairly large section of the road.
Do not forget that at night the driver is required to be extremely careful, vigilant and attentive, and that these qualities are dulled at night, since with the onset of twilight the body needs rest.
Night accident statistics
Statistics show that, on average, 50% of accidents of their total number occur at dusk and at night. This suggests that driving at night is always much more dangerous.
Driving at this time is very difficult. And even if you are a first-class driver with great experience, you will not always be able to predict the behavior on the roads of young and inexperienced motorists, of which there are plenty in our time.
Accidents on night and evening roads are of considerable severity, very often end in deaths. These are such accidents as a collision of cars (often head-on), collisions with pedestrians. The figures of 40-60% of accidents at night and before dawn are also confirmed by the statistics of foreign countries. In the United States, more than 53% of road accidents occur at this time of day, and for 56% of people injured in them, death. Institute road safety Sweden reports that a third of all crashes in the country happen at night, and of these, 21% are pedestrians.
German services recorded night accidents 2-3 times more than in daytime. In France, out of 1,000 road traffic accidents, 47 fatalities occur during the day and 83 at night.
Causes of increased accident rate at night
The advantage of a night road, so to speak, is relatively a large number of cars. However, this is precisely the negative factor that leads to the fact that the driver can relax, increase speed, partially lose vigilance, which can cause an accident. But if you are going on a trip at night, you should have a good rest, sleep and prepare your car accordingly, and also never neglect the rules. traffic. Check the operation of the headlights of the car in different positions, clean them and Windshield from dirt. At night, when visibility is not good enough, dirty glass worsens the view of the road, and also scatters the headlights of cars coming towards you. Don't forget to turn on the panel backlight and switch interior mirror to night mode.
Whether we like it or not, but to ride in dark time days we have, especially in winter. The day is very short, and sometimes we work for a long time. Therefore, in a timely manner, perform such manipulations:
Turn on the dipped beam as soon as it gets dark so that every participant in the movement can see the car;
- turn on stops if necessary parking lights and pull over to the side of the road.
The most dangerous factor on night city roads and highways is considered to be bad review. At high speeds in places of poor visibility, it is quite difficult to assess any emerging traffic situation. There is only one conclusion - to adhere to the optimal speed.
Blinding the driver with the light from the headlights of an oncoming car is another of the main and important nuances night driving. Night overtaking, pedestrians and other obstacles (wagons, road equipment), passing with oncoming traffic, poor pavement and lighting, nighttime rains and snowfalls are all important factors to consider when traveling at night.
How to behave on night roads
The carriageway at night is illuminated by car headlights for a distance of approximately 100 meters in length and 15 meters in width. Outside of this illuminated strip, almost nothing is visible. Therefore, almost 15% of night accidents occur when driving with an oncoming car - at this moment, visibility becomes much worse, as the driver is blinded by the car coming towards him. Maximum visibility is lost at a distance of 25-30 meters. With a sudden change in lighting, a person sees practically nothing, his vision is restored after about 20 seconds. During this time, a car moving at a speed of 30 kilometers per hour travels about 200 meters. That is why blinding the driver is so dangerous. This factor can be avoided or reduced by switching the headlights from high beam to low beam in a timely manner. Interfere with normal night traffic high beam can from a distance of 250-300 meters. This is the critical distance for switching, although the rules of the road require at least 150 meters.
In addition, experts recommend that when driving at night, do not look at the headlights of oncoming cars, but focus on the roadside. If blinding occurs, slow down or stop, and after making sure that there is no obstacle on the side of the road, try to pull over to it. When your eyes get used to the night light, keep moving.
Especially when driving around corners at night - here you need to slow down, do not look at the headlights, and when driving with low beams, pay more attention right side road (when turning left) based on the curb, posts, or plants illuminated by your vehicle's headlights.
Scheme of switching headlights and the choice of speed when overtaking
When approaching a car being overtaken, it is necessary to switch the headlights at a distance of 150-200 m so that the driver of the car in front is not blinded through the rear-view mirror. The high beam can be turned on when your vehicle is level with the vehicle being overtaken. The actions of the driver of the car being overtaken will be correct when, when approaching your car, he turns on the dipped beam, slows down and takes to the right. So he should move until the overtaking car moves away from him at a distance of 150-200 meters.
In the last - the seventh - block of concepts, we will consider the visibility conditions in which the driver has to move on the vehicle.
Driving in fog, rain or snow, on the one hand, night riding, on the other side, sharp turns with practically “zero” visibility, on the third hand, all these are visibility conditions that have specific names. Let's talk about them.
NIGHT TIME
It would seem, well, what is easier ... We will not argue with this assessment and quote the traffic rules.
"Dark time of the day" - the period of time from the end of evening twilight to the beginning of morning twilight.
Agree, it smacks of the style of the general military regulations of the armed forces of the Russian Federation. And if it is simpler, then the dark time of the day is a period of time when it is impossible to move without special additional road lighting.
The driver must remember that in the conditions of the dark time of the day there are special rules for driving. So, for example, the movement of a vehicle must be carried out exclusively with the use of dipped or main beam headlights. (We will talk in more detail about the use of external lighting devices when analyzing the corresponding section of the SDA).
The antipode of the dark time of the day is daylight hours days, that is, the period of time during which natural (solar) lighting operates.
LOW VISIBILITY
"Insufficient visibility" means visibility of the road less than 300 m in conditions of fog, rain, snowfall and the like, as well as at dusk.
Bad weather and twilight very significantly reduce the visibility distance, making it impossible to distinguish even the outlines of objects that are at some distance.
Agree, this state of affairs is an extremely dangerous phenomenon when driving a vehicle. That is why the Rules introduce the concept of insufficient visibility, outlining its boundaries - the visibility of the road is less than 300 meters in bad weather or twilight.
And one moment. The term "inadequate" means that there is visibility of the road, but there is not enough natural light at the moment. And, therefore, in conditions of insufficient visibility (as well as at night), the driver is obliged to use external lighting fixtures(high or low beam headlights).
This will compensate for the lack of natural light.
Our similar, at first glance, tautology around insufficiency will be fully justified in the analysis of the following concept.
LIMITED VISIBILITY
"Limited visibility" - the driver's visibility of the road in the direction of travel, limited by the terrain, geometric parameters roads, vegetation, buildings, structures or other objects, including vehicles.
Limited visibility prevents the driver from seeing the road at a safe distance.
Unfortunately, the SDA does not indicate a specific numerical characteristic (footage) of limited visibility. But the methodology for applying the Rules allows us to conclude that it is less than 100 meters.
The driver must remember that in conditions of limited visibility it is strictly forbidden for him to carry out:
- U-turn;
- Reversing;
- Overtaking;
- Stop and parking on the roadway.
We will talk about this and many other things (regarding the conditions of limited visibility) in the relevant sections of the SDA.
Another significant point. Agree, it is very easy to confuse two similar-sounding concepts - “insufficient visibility” and “ limited visibility". Especially often this error manifests itself when solving problems on traffic rules and passing the final qualifying exam.
This is where the previously used technique can help. Lack of visibility is the product of a lack of light (insufficient light), and reduced visibility is the result of some physical restriction on the view.
Let's summarize. Visibility conditions play a significant role in ensuring traffic safety. The worse the visibility, the more careful the driver must be. The choice of manner of movement (especially speed) is directly dependent on visibility conditions.
If this information was useful to you, please write about it in the comments. If you have any questions, write, we will definitely try to help you.
- limited visibility
- limited visibility is
- limited visibility
- poor visibility
Discussion: 3 comments
Hello.
Help is needed.
The situation is this:
The road has four lanes, two in one direction and, accordingly, two in the other (opposite), between them there is a dividing lawn, which has a technological gap. It's in the heart of the city. Sign 6.3.1 “Place for U-turn. Left turns are prohibited. I am driving in the left lane in one of the directions. Another participant in the movement moves in the opposite direction, enters a technological gap in order to perform a U-turn maneuver. So here's the question: he, referring to limited visibility, drives the front of his car onto left lane oncoming traffic, that is, along which I am moving ... which traffic rules He violated the Russian Federation??? I ask you to explain. As a result, there was a serious accident as he drove very close in front of me. Now, of course, he is trying to deny his guilt and his only argument is that I was driving with a huge speed limit and could not stop in front of him. My speed was 60 km/h. The braking distance was 17.2 meters. I will be grateful for help.
A large number of definitions are considered in the Rules of the Road, one of them is "Insufficient visibility". In this article, we will try to figure out what it is, how it differs from other similar definitions, what rules should be followed when driving in such conditions.
Section 1.2 is devoted to this concept. general provisions SDA, in which there is only one sentence.
- snowing;
- fog
- rainy weather;
- twilight.
Pay attention to the last point - twilight, according to the traffic rules, is the time when the sun sets below the horizon line, respectively, you can see at a fairly large distance without turning on the headlights. Twilight is both night and morning.
Features of limited visibility
There are other definitions in the SDA that need to be clearly distinguished:
- limited visibility is when the driver's field of vision is limited by landscape, buildings, trees, bends in the roadway. That is, a limited view remains at any time of the day and on such sections of the road the motorist must adhere to the established one, there is also a ban on various maneuvers - a U-turn and overtaking;
- dark time of the day - depends on the time of year. This refers to the time when the sun is not on the horizon, in simple terms - night.
Well, there is daylight when there is no need for additional lighting, although according to the traffic rules, everyone in Russia is required to drive with running lights (DRLs) on, even when the sun is unbearably hot outside.
How to move in these conditions?
In principle, there are no special requirements in the SDA regarding driving in similar conditions. The only thing required of the driver is to choose speed mode taking into account the road conditions and the quality of the surface.
It is also said that you need to turn on external lights, based on the circumstances:
- dipped beam - in the conditions of the city, outside the city to avoid blinding drivers of oncoming vehicles, on the rise;
- high beam - outside the city, provided that you do not overtake or there is no traffic in the opposite direction at a distance of 150-200 meters;
- fog lights- snow, fog, rain, they are included together with the low beam.
In addition, you must leave the rear fog lights on, and if you make a forced stop, then the dimensions should also be on.
Also, drivers resort to simple rule speed mode selection - the speed should not exceed half the visibility in meters. That is, if the road in fog is visible at 20 meters, then you need to move no faster than 10 meters per second or 36-40 km / h. In any case, the driver must take into account the length of the braking distance, which will increase on a slippery, wet or snowy track.
Maintaining distance is of the utmost importance. Do not get too close to the vehicles in front. Please note that the reaction time is significantly reduced when long driving at the same speed. At dusk, when it gets dark quickly, obstacles are more difficult to distinguish, so turn on the lights in time.
By adhering to these rules, you can protect yourself and passengers from an accident.
A modern car is festooned with external lights like a Christmas tree with toys. And all this must be skillfully used. Those who think that it is up to the driver to turn on certain lights or not turn them on are mistaken. The nineteenth section of the Rules strictly regulates when and what needs to be included. To deal with all this, let's simulate a real trip.
So, we start moving during the day in clear weather.
Rules. Section 19. Clause 19.5. During daylight hours, on all moving vehicles, in order to identify them, they should includelow beam or daytime running lights running lights.
The rules divide the day into the following parts:
- Daylight hours.
- Evening twilight.
- Night time.
— Morning twilight.
Movement during daylight hours with a transparent atmosphere is the most comfortable and safe. However, even during daylight hours, for various reasons, drivers may not see each other, and an accident occurs, as they say, “in broad daylight”.
In order to ensure b O For greater safety, the Rules oblige all drivers to mark their vehicle while driving ( not only at night, but also during the day!). At the same time, during the day, that is, during daylight hours, to designate their vehicle, drivers are required to turn on either dipped beam headlights or daytime running lights (if any).
Daytime running lights are a novelty that has recently become increasingly popular, because they have noticeable advantages:
- Better recognizable.
– Automatically turn on when the engine is started and turn off when the engine is turned off.
- Differ in economy, high reliability and durability.
– Extend service life conventional system lighting.
The rules singled out daytime running lights as a separate term and gave them the following definition:
Rules. Section 1. “Daytime running lights” are external lighting devices designed to improve the visibility of a moving vehicle frontduring daylight hours.
Please note - daytime running lights indicate the vehicle only in front!
And during daylight hours, this is absolutely correct.
During the day, the vehicle ahead is clearly visible to you (without any additional lighting). And at the same time, you can easily, without particularly straining, continuously monitor events from behind, thanks to the fact that the car driving behind has daytime running lights on.
Or due to the fact that the headlights of the dipped beam are on at the rear.
Or due to the fact that the rear fog lights are on.
Students. Excuse me, where are the fog lights? In paragraph 19.5 there are no fog lights! Paragraph 19.5 refers only to dipped-beam headlamps and daytime running lamps.
Teacher. Yes, you are absolutly right. Paragraph 19.5 does not really say anything about fog lights. But they are mentioned in paragraph 19.4.
instead of low beam headlights in accordance with clause 19.5 of the Rules.
Let's summarize:
During daylight hours, on all moving vehicles, for the purpose of their identification, the following must be included:
– or low beam headlights;
– or daytime running lights;
or fog lights.
Have you forgotten yet? We move during the day in clear weather. But there's a tunnel ahead!
In tunnels on a moving vehicle low or high beam headlights must be on.
It doesn’t matter at all whether the tunnel is short or long, whether there is artificial lighting there or not.
In all cases, when moving in a tunnel, drivers must turn on exactlylights near or far light.
And rightly so - in any tunnel, lighting is always not enough. And then artificial lighting is not the sun and can go out at any moment. And then daytime running lights or fog lights will not help you much. Here you will need headlights (dipped beam or high beam).
There is such a problem in Tickets, and here you are often mistaken:
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In a tunnel with artificial lighting, the following must be included: 1. Low beam headlights or parking lights. 2. Low beam headlights or daytime running lights. 3. Low or high beam headlights. Task comment Some of you are beginning to doubt - is it possible to turn on the main beam in the tunnel? I'll blind everyone!
Of course, if the traffic is dense (at least in the tunnel, at least not in the tunnel), drivers are required to switch to dipped beam.
But if there is no one to blind (at least in the tunnel, at least not in the tunnel), who will forbid you to turn on the high beam headlights. The rules meant exactly that. |
We left the tunnel, you can continue driving on the dipped headlights,
you can switch to fog lights, you can switch to daytime running lights.
But suddenly the sky was covered with black clouds, everything around darkened, and it began to rain.
Or, let's put it this way - there are no clouds, it's just evening, twilight, not yet night, but visibility has become insufficient .
Rules. Section 19. Clause 19.1. In conditions of insufficient visibility, regardless of the illumination of the road, a moving vehicle must turn on low or high beam headlights .
That is, the Rules do not make any difference between traffic in a tunnel and traffic in conditions of insufficient visibility. And, in general, it’s right - in both cases, the illumination is insufficient, and the requirement “dipped beam or high beam headlights must be turned on” is quite justified.
But, on the other hand, the conditions of insufficient visibility are not only a decrease in illumination, as, for example, at dusk. The conditions of insufficient visibility are also a temporary deterioration in the transparency of the atmosphere, as, for example, in fog - it is light, but nothing is visible! So, maybe it's time to turn on the fog lights and rear fog lights? Let's see what the Rules say about this:
Rules. Section 19. Clause 19.4. Fog lights can be used in conditions of insufficient visibility with near or high beam headlights .
Rules. Section 19. Clause 19.7. Rear fog lights can be applied only in low visibility conditions.
That is, in conditions of insufficient visibility, first of all, it is necessary to turn on the dipped or main beam headlights! If desired, fog lights can be added to them, and if necessary, you can also turn on the rear fog lights.
Here we have to make a small digression. Experience in a driving school tells me that not all students have a clear idea of which lights are located in front, which ones are in the back, how they work and, in general, how a headlight differs from a lantern.
The main purpose of headlights is to illuminate the road. And they are, of course, located in front and they white color. True, fog lights can shine and yellow light(it is believed that yellow light breaks through the fog better).
The main purpose of the lights is to designate the vehicle itself. And they are located at the back and are all red. The only exception is headlights. reversing and license plate lighting - they are white.
In addition, the car (motorcycle) also has side lights. The front marker lights are white, the rear marker lights are red.
It is extremely important for the driver to know exactly how the work of headlights and lanterns is coordinated. In particular, it must be understood that it is possible to turn on the parking lights without turning on the headlights. But it is impossible to turn on the headlights without turning on the parking lights!
That is, when we say that the driver turned on the side lights, this means that two white lights are on in front, and two red lights are on in the back (but the headlights are not on).
If we say that the driver turned on the headlights (no matter which ones), this means that the headlights are on in front, and two red marker lights are on the back.
But back to "our sheep". So, in conditions of insufficient visibility, the driver must turn on the dipped or main beam headlights (and since the headlights are on, it means that red side lights will definitely be on the back).
But in heavy fog (snowfall, rain), the main beam of the headlights does not reach the roadbed!
This is where it's time to go to the middle and connect foglights. A flat and wide beam of fog lamps beats under a veil of fog, highlighting not only carriageway, but also the curb.
See how well the logo of the “autoschoolhouse” has become visible.
Just do not try to move on some foglights. Fog lights illuminate the road 5-10 meters from the car. Driving in conditions of insufficient visibility on foglights alone is dangerous and therefore prohibited by the Rules.
But there is another problem.
In conditions of insufficient visibility, the rear position lights already at a distance of 10 meters turn into inconspicuous dots, or even become invisible.
In this case, the rear fog lights will help out the driver. They burn incomparably brighter than side lights.
That is why the Rules allow the use of rear fog lightsonly in low visibility conditions!
If you turn them on in a transparent atmosphere, you will blind the drivers behind you.
There is one problem in the Tickets about the rear fog lights. It is frankly provocative, and you often make a mistake here:
Twilight faded into night. The dark time has come.
But the fog cleared. The atmosphere is absolutely transparent.
Rules. Section 19. Clause 19.1. In the dark time of the day on a moving vehicle, the dipped or main beam headlights must be turned on.
I emphasize! – if the Rules say: "In the dark time of the day" and they don’t add anything, which means that it’s a dark impenetrable night in the yard, but that’s all. No fog, rain, snowfall, etc.
Since we already moved with the onset of twilight with the dipped beam headlights on, then with the onset of the dark time of the day we don’t need to do anything. True, two points remained unclear. First, are fog lights allowed at night? And, secondly, in what cases can high beam headlights be used?
Rules. Section 19. Clause 19.4. Fog lights can be used at night on unlit sections of roads together with low beam or high beam.
As you can see, driving at night on foglights alone is strictly prohibited by the Rules (as well as in conditions of insufficient visibility). But you can add fog lights to the dipped or high beam headlights if the road is not lit.
Now about when you can use high beam and when not.
We already know that both low and high beams can be used, firstly, when driving in a tunnel, secondly, when driving during the day in conditions of insufficient visibility, and, thirdly, when driving at night, no matter what kind of visibility (sufficient or insufficient). It remains only to understand when you can use the low beam, and when the high beam.
Rules. Section 19. Clause 19.2. High beam headlights must be switched to low beam:
- in settlements, if the road is lit;
- at an oncoming pass at a distance of at least 150 meters from the vehicle, as well as at a greater distance, if the driver of the oncoming vehicle periodic switching headlights will show the need for this;
- in any other cases, to exclude the possibility of blinding drivers of both oncoming and passing vehicles.
Let's deal with each of these requirements separately.
1. High beam headlights must be switched to low- in settlements, if the road is lit.
Let us leave this requirement of the Rules without comment. Everything seems to be clear here anyway - we drive along city streets at night with low beams (unless, of course, they are lit).
But if we climb into a place where we can’t see a single light, then even in the city it is allowed to turn on the distant one.
2. at an oncoming siding at a distance of not less than 150 meters to the vehicle as well as with more if the driver of an oncoming vehicle indicates the need for this by periodically switching the headlights.
The main beam (if it is correctly adjusted) reaches the roadbed at a distance of 90 - 100 meters from the car. Rules have generously set a minimum distance between converging vehicles - 150 meters. By this time, the drivers of both vehicles are required to switch the high beam headlights to low beam, so as not to blind each other.
But it may happen that the headlights of one of the cars are not adjusted, and the main beam hits, as they say, “into the sky”. In this case, oncoming drivers from afar will ask (flashing their headlights) to switch to low beam. And the rules oblige the driver to do this , even if the distance between approaching vehicles is more than 150 meters.
3. High beam headlights must be switched to low beam -in any other cases to exclude the possibility of dazzling drivers, as oncoming as well as passing vehicles .
High beams can create problems not only for those who are driving towards, but also for those who are moving ahead in passing direction. No minimum distance has been established by the Rules for this situation, but a competent driver will always dip his headlights when approaching the vehicle in front.
And by the way! How should a driver behave when dazzled by headlights?
We have already discussed this situation in the seventh topic. Let's repeat it again. Night time.
The road outside the settlement without artificial lighting. A car is driving towards you with the headlights on. Just imagine - you do not see the roadbed, you do not see the markings, you do not see the roadside. It's deadly!
The most correct now is to portray a forced stop. That is the sign emergency stop you do not need to set, just turn on the emergency light signaling and come to a smooth stop without changing lanes. I assure you, this is the most correct and safe solution. Moreover, the Rules require the same:
Rules. Section 19. Clause 19.2. Last paragraph. When blinded, the driver must turn on alarm and without changing lane, slow down and stop.
And finally, the most difficult conditions movement!
Not only is it night outside, there is also insufficient visibility!
In this case, the Rules did not come up with anything new, because all the possibilities of a modern vehicle have already been exhausted.
That's whyin low visibility conditions the procedure for using external lighting devices is the same at any time of the day. You can turn on the high beam, you can turn on the low beam, you can add fog lights, you can turn on the rear fog lights.
Another thing is that experienced drivers when driving in heavy fog, rain or snow, never use high beams. They know full well that in such conditions, the high beam is ineffective - it simply does not reach the road surface, and the driver sees nothing but fog, snow or rain.
In such conditions, the most correct thing is dipped beam plus fog lights. And, of course, the speed must be such that stopping way was less than the visibility distance.
A special case - towing!
When towing, two vehicles move as one at a close distance from each other. In this case, they should designate themselves as one whole.
Towing - in front, and he has includedlights, towed - at the back, and it has includedparking lights .
Rules. Section 19. Clause 19.1. At night and in conditions of insufficient visibility, regardless of road lighting, as well as in tunnels, a moving vehicle must turn on the following lighting devices:
- on all motor vehicles and mopeds - driving or dipped beam headlights, on bicycles - headlights or lanterns, on horse-drawn carts– lights (if any);
- on trailersand towed motor vehicles - parking lights.
The rules forbade the towed person to turn on the headlights even at night and even in conditions of insufficient visibility (only side lights!). And this has its own logic. After all, the towed one will also have an emergency flasher turned on:
Rules. Section 7. Clause 7.1. The hazard warning lights must be on when towing (on a towed motor vehicle).
To designate your vehicle, this is quite enough, but it does not need to illuminate anything - a towing vehicle is driving ahead at a maximum of 6 meters.
There is one such problem in Tickets, and here you are often mistaken:
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What external lighting devices should be turned on at night and in conditions of insufficient visibility, regardless of road lighting, as well as in tunnels on towed vehicles? 1. Daytime Running Lights. 2. Parking lights. 3. Rear fog lights. |
1. Movement at night
night car trip safety
When driving, be sure to take into account the fact that at night a person sees worse than during the day - a fact that has scientific confirmation. Moreover, with age, night vision becomes worse, so you should not drive often at night for people of advanced age.
If you are to night trip, it is necessary to perform whole line preparatory actions. The first thing to do is to check the condition of the car's lighting fixtures: are the parking lights on, are the direction indicators, dipped and main beam headlights, brake lights, reversing lights, fog lights working. The backlight of the instrument panel must be in good working order - otherwise you will not be able to control the speed of movement, as well as monitor the presence of fuel in the tank and the temperature of the coolant.
Be sure to check that the windshield wipers are working properly, the brushes are not worn out, and there is a enough liquids. Also check the condition of the side mirrors, if necessary, clean them of dust and dirt. Remember: when driving at night, many nuances that are invisible during the day take on special meaning. For example, "wipers" do not clean the windshield well - at night, because of this, visibility can greatly deteriorate (to the point that you cannot drive normally). The same applies to rear-view mirrors: during the day it is still possible (but strongly discouraged) to drive with dirty mirrors, but at night they can be completely useless in this state.
If you haven't had to drive at night yet, be sure to study the location of the toggle switches and buttons designed to turn lights on and off - otherwise you will have to look for them on the go, distracting from driving. This is especially inconvenient in cases where you need to turn on or off one or another device as quickly as possible (the most typical example is the need to switch high beam headlights to low beam when oncoming vehicles appear).
You can check the operation of the rear lights by inviting an assistant who will stand behind the car while you turn on all the lights in turn. If there is no assistant - put your car with the hood against any wall - you can easily determine by the reflections on it whether the rear lighting or one of them is out of order.
About 90% of all actions that a driver performs while driving a car and all decisions he makes are based on what he sees. Consequently, the reliability of driving is much reduced in the dark: firstly, at night a person sees worse than during the day, and secondly, at night the driver's field of view is limited only to the area illuminated by the headlights of the car. That is why at night motorists commit more bugs, the bulk of which is associated with an incorrect estimate of the distance to the object, the wrong choice of speed and the determination of the speed of other vehicles.
At night, on an unlit road, the visibility zone is limited by headlights
At night, the driver has less time to make a decision, to perform a particular maneuver, as well as to correct a mistake. Ultimately, all this leads to the fact that the reaction time to changes in traffic conditions increases significantly.
The first thing the driver should do to improve visibility at night is to reduce the speed of movement down to the minimum. In any case, the same road should be driven much more slowly at night than during the day. The speed mode should be chosen based on the fact that, if necessary, it would be possible to quickly stop the vehicle within its visibility. In other words, when driving at night braking distances vehicle must not exceed the distance illuminated by headlights.
Do not drive faster than your visibility allows at the current road conditions. Keep in mind that at night, a person’s vision can present him with various unpleasant “surprises”: the most typical example is objects that suddenly appear from the darkness, which in the daytime are perfectly visible from afar. In such situations, the driver needs twice as much time to detect such objects as during the day.
Many motorists neglect glasses prescribed by a doctor. This is completely unacceptable even in the daytime, and even more so in the dark. Ultimately, your neglect can lead to the fact that you may not notice an obstacle on the road in time and not have time to respond to its appearance, and this will lead to an accident. It’s good if this obstacle turns out to be a stone on the road, a pit or some kind of foreign object - much worse if such neglect causes a collision with a person (a tragic outcome is also possible). Remember: if you have minor defect vision, wearing them while driving is a must. If you don’t like glasses so much, you don’t even have to take them out of the car, but while driving, they should be your indispensable “ammunition”.
Moving on night road, do not forget that there may be unlit obstacles and objects on it, as well as in its immediate vicinity. In particular, this may be an unlit vehicle. For this reason, when driving at night, try to ensure traffic safety. When it seems that there is some kind of obstacle ahead, immediately reduce the speed of movement until it comes to a complete stop: even if it only seemed to you, it is better to play it safe.
The most serious danger when driving at night is associated with pedestrians. If during the day you can easily notice a person who is standing by the side of the road and wants to cross the road (even if wrong place- you will have time to react), then at night you will hardly notice it. A pedestrian standing at the curb may well be out of your line of sight, so he will appear unexpectedly on the roadway. Particular vigilance should be shown in relation to children: because of their small stature, you discover them later than an adult. In addition, the actions of children are particularly unpredictable and at the same time fast. special attention elderly pedestrians are also worthy: they often do not look at the road at all and cross the carriageway where they please. In addition, they are distinguished by a slow reaction, as well as an erroneous assessment of the traffic situation. However, the worst thing is drunken pedestrians: they are able to “throw out” such “tricks” on the road that one wonders how a person is capable of this?
If you see that in the immediate vicinity of the roadway there are representatives of these "dangerous" categories of pedestrians, prepare in advance for the worst case scenario. Reduce your speed, blink your headlights to switch low and high beams, sound your horn if necessary, plan ahead of time for a possible change in direction, and be prepared to brake urgently.
When driving at night, pay close attention to the vehicle in front of you so as not to miss the moment of its possible braking. Remember: in the dark, the only sign by which you can determine the beginning of its braking is the lit brake lights.
If you feel tired, stop and rest.
When you have a long night trip, it is best to take a partner with you who has driver license. This will allow you to change places with him and take turns resting.
Drivers of vehicles should turn on their marker lights in advance to compensate insufficient visibility at night time. Remember - in the dark you need to drive at a lower speed than during the day. First, so you get the opportunity to get in this situation best review, secondly, there will be more time to follow the road, detect obstacles and react in case of an unexpected change in traffic conditions. If a critical situation happens, then you will have more chances to get out of it with the least losses.
Before performing any maneuver, turn on the appropriate direction indicator in advance: this rule is many times more relevant at night. Due to limited visibility, it is necessary to notify other road users of any, even little change the trajectory of your vehicle. At the same time, please note that the drivers of other vehicles must have enough time to respond appropriately to your maneuver.
"Performing a right turn" (at night)
At night, keep an increased distance between your car and the vehicle ahead.
"Keeping your distance when driving at night"
As far as possible, try to avoid overtaking, and if this is not possible, exercise extra caution.
Before the trip, think over and prepare the route. If you “rush around” along the night road, looking for the right turn, you will noticeably complicate traffic situation and create unnecessary problems not only for yourself, but also for other road users.
The location of the car on the road "(during the dark)
Don't let yourself relax. There are fewer vehicles on the roads at night than during the daytime, which causes many drivers to be completely inappropriately complacent and unjustifiably relaxed. Despite the fact that there are fewer vehicles on the road at night, there are much more dangers when driving than during the day.
Always keep an eye on the speedometer: the intuition of any driver is not enough to adequately assess the speed of his car.
Of exceptional importance when driving at night on a suburban highway is the choice of the optimal speed mode. Remember: if traffic rules allow cars move outside settlements at a speed of 90 km / h - this does not mean that at night you need to drive along a country road at this speed. Perhaps, in your case, 60-70 km / h will be enough. When choosing a speed mode when driving at night outside the city, consider the following factors.
- 1. The number of lanes for traffic in each direction, available on a given road. If the road has only one lane in each direction, it is obvious that to go from high speed it would be too dangerous. When the road is two- or even three-lane, the speed can be increased (of course, within reasonable limits).
- 2. Type and condition of the road surface. Obviously, when driving on an asphalt road, you can develop a higher speed than on dirt road. If there are pits, potholes and potholes on the road, it is dangerous to drive at high speed: the car can end up in a ditch or into oncoming traffic, and this the right way quickly disable parts and suspension assemblies.
- 3. Your degree of familiarity with the road you are on. It's one thing when you drive along a well-known road where you know every bump, every turn and every road sign, and quite another - if the track is unfamiliar, and you are intensely peering ahead.
- 4. The technical condition of your car. If you have, for example, wheel tires in not very good condition, shock absorbers are unreliable, or the camber and toe-in are not adjusted, etc. - you should not drive at night on high speed. It may happen that due to poor visibility you notice an obstacle late and technical condition your vehicle will not prevent an accident.
- 5. Current weather conditions. If it is raining or snowing outside, the road surface is wet and slippery, visibility is poor, you need to drive minimum speed. It happens that in the headlights of snowfall or heavy rain appears as a solid wall, limiting visibility in front of the car by literally two or three meters (and sometimes even less). When in such a situation there is some kind of obstacle in front of the car, then when driving at a speed of more than 10 km / h, you simply do not have enough time to respond in a timely manner and prevent an accident.
- 6. Current situation on road. It is one thing when you are alone on the track, and quite another if a large number of both passing and oncoming vehicles are moving along the road.
In the absence of oncoming vehicles, turn on the high beam headlights - this will significantly improve visibility. As soon as an oncoming vehicle appears, immediately switch to low beam headlights so as not to dazzle the driver. At the same time, it is recommended to slow down, because even the dipped headlights of an oncoming vehicle will noticeably worsen visibility (in addition, you will also switch to dipped headlights, and this will also negatively affect your line of sight).
If the driver of an oncoming car, when approaching you, did not switch to dipped headlights, “blink” him. But in no case do not turn on the high beam "in retaliation" - this is fraught with the most backfire. As a result of unexpected blinding, the driver of an oncoming vehicle may accidentally enter your lane of oncoming traffic - you will provoke a head-on collision.
Therefore, in similar situation(when an oncoming vehicle is driving with high beam headlights) the first thing to do is to slow down and, if necessary, stop completely. It is also recommended that you turn on your hazard warning lights (before you stop) to warn other road users of possible danger. If you decide that you will not stop - direct the car closer to the curb and continue to move at low speed with low beam headlights.
In no case do not look at the headlights of an oncoming vehicle - this is the shortest way to dazzle. Direct your gaze to the right, but in such a way as to control the situation on the road, and while driving, be guided by the right edge of the carriageway. Drive at a slower speed until visibility is fully restored.
Sometimes there are situations when the driver is blinded not by an oncoming car, but by a passing car that moves behind (this happens through a rear-view mirror located in the passenger compartment). IN this case try as far as possible not to look into this mirror, and even better - temporarily move it to another position, turning away from you. It is for this reason that you should never forget to switch to low beam headlights when approaching another vehicle from behind. Another way to get rid of rear glare is to allow the vehicle behind you to overtake your vehicle.
There are times when, when driving at night, the car's lights suddenly fail. Needless to say, how dangerous this is: after all, your car in such a situation becomes completely invisible to other road users, and if drivers of other vehicles can still somehow notice your car in the light of their headlights, then a pedestrian may well step right under the wheels .
Note
Most often, lighting devices fail due to a blown fuse - this is one of the simplest breakdowns that can be easily fixed on your own. Therefore, always keep a spare set of fuses in the glove compartment.
