Sunday 22nd is Winter Solstice or the longest night of the year so we have some advice when driving in the dark writes Geraldine Herbert
In Dublin, the sun will rise at 08:37 am on Sunday and set again at 16.07 pm so the chances are you will be driving to work or home in the dark.
- Driving in the dark can cause fatigue – plan your journey, scheduling at least one stop every two hours.
- Don’t ignore warning signs of fatigue. In extreme cases, have a caffeine drink and sleep for 20 minutes while it takes effect. You can only do this once per journey; it won’t have the same effect if you do it more than once.
- Share the driving if possible.
- Many stretches of motorway are not lit during hours of darkness – To improve your view as far as possible, keep your lights, mirrors and windscreen clean.
- Watch for tell-tale brake lights up ahead to anticipate any changes in traffic speed or queues which you may be joining.
- Make sure you can stop safely within the distance you can see to be clear.
- If you break down pull over on to the hard shoulder. Put on your hazard lights and the car’s sidelights and if visibility is bad you should also put on your rear fog lights. Never attempt to repair the car yourself, you shouldn’t try to carry out even minor repairs – and that includes changing a tyre – on the hard shoulder
For more driving advice check out our driving tips section
Geraldine Herbert
21st December 2019
