Night Driving Tips For Parents And Their Teens

Even for seasoned drivers, driving at night can be difficult and stressful. All the headlights and lights can make it hard to see, as well as being dark and some things not as easy to see on the road. With Daylight Savings Time coming to an end recently, more people will find themselves driving in darker conditions. Because of that, we are sharing some night driving tips for parents and their teens.

What Parents Need To Know About Night Driving

For those parents having a little anxiety about their teen driver getting behind the wheel at night, here are some tips and tricks to help ease that anxiety:

1. Night driving presents challenges for a new driver. It becomes more difficult to judge distance as the sun sets, so be ready for some hard stops. Also, in the beginning, a new driver is apt to miss a few stop signs.
2. Teens perform best after dark when they are familiar with an area. Driving instructors know this, so they scout a route with well-lit streets and parking lots. We also try to avoid places without bright street lights.
3. Once you identify a driving route with good visibility, use it over and over. It takes awhile before a teen consistently stays in his or her lane through turns, judges the braking distance needed for a smooth stop, and is able to spot pedestrians in low-light areas and crosswalks. 
4. The simplest fix for driving at twilight or night is to slow down. Encourage new drivers to drive 2-3 mph below the posted limit for more reaction time. Talk with them about the Basic Speed Law and why the correct speed to drive isn’t a number. It’s a judgment about what speed is right for the weather and road conditions. 
5. To improve their concentration, consider slightly dimming the instrument panel after dark. 
6. The California DMV Parent-Teen Handbook talks about night driving for teens on page 26. Even if you live in another state, the booklet is an excellent resource for families. 
7. Novice drivers struggle with lane position and turns in the low light or darkness. Don’t overcorrect their steering mistakes on a night drive. (Even experienced drivers get sloppy after sundown.) 
8. Clear communication in the car helps students to anticipate what’s coming up ahead. Instead of saying “turn at the next corner,” include more detail. “When you reach the 24 Hour Fitness sign, make a right turn.” 
9. At twilight, explain the sun visor and how it works. At the same time, talk about when to turn on the car headlights. 
10. Make sure the windshield is clean on both sides. Smudges on the glass can block a driver’s view. 
11. Fatigue and oncoming car headlights can tire your eyes. It’s probably best if the parent or adult do the driving if a teen says he or she feels tired or just finished a strenuous workout at the gym or practice.

Not All Negatives

While there are more concerns than positives when it comes to night driving, there are still some pluses that come up also. These include:

• Traffic lights look brighter from farther away.
• Headlights make oncoming cars at T intersections and blind corners easier to spot.
• Reflectors that largely go unnoticed during a day lesson assist novice drivers with staying in their lanes, entering turn pockets and steering around sharp curves. 

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to our friendly support staff. If you want to start your driver's training journey with Coastline Academy, make sure to sign up for Drivers Ed and book your driving lesson today.