Driving at night and on remote roads

First, fatigue: the body has an internal clock that follows the cycle of day and night. At night, and especially in the early hours of the morning, the urge to sleep is strongest, even if you felt fit beforehand. Fatigue slows reactions, worsens judgement and can lead to microsleep – a brief nodding off that you often do not notice yourself.

Second, visibility: headlights only light a limited area in front of the car. Pedestrians in dark clothing, animals or obstacles appear late. Oncoming traffic dazzles, and wet roads swallow light. Choose a speed at which you can stop within the distance you can see.

Third, remoteness: on remote roads it takes longer after a breakdown or accident until someone passes or help arrives. Fuel stations are rare, dead zones common. Good planning and regular breaks reduce all three risks at the same time.

The most important question comes before setting off: does this drive really have to be at night? If it can be moved to daytime, that is almost always the safer choice. After a long working day, a flight or a tiring excursion you are often more tired than you think.

If the drive must happen: look at the route beforehand, check fuel stations and dead zones, download offline maps and set off with a full tank. Tell a contact which route you are taking and when you plan to arrive, and agree when they should raise the alarm if they hear nothing from you.

On the way: regular breaks, and swap drivers if possible. Traffic rules such as the UK Highway Code recommend breaks roughly every two hours. Keep windows and headlights clean, use high beam where allowed and dip in good time when someone comes towards you.

Warning signs of dangerous fatigue are frequent yawning, heavy eyelids, difficulty keeping in lane and memory gaps about the last few kilometres. Then only one thing helps: stop in a safe place and sleep. Open windows, cold air or loud music work briefly at best and can give a false feeling of safety.

At dusk and at night many animals are on the move and cross roads. Drive more slowly, especially near forests and fields, and expect that more animals may follow the first one. Sudden, risky swerving can be more dangerous than a collision, for example if you leave the road or end up in oncoming traffic. Exactly how to behave differs by country – follow local guidance.

After an accident or in an emergency, call the local emergency number (112 in the EU). Emergency calls often go through other mobile networks when your own has no signal. So it is worth trying even with poor reception.

Secure the vehicle: hazard lights on, as far from the carriageway as possible, put on the hi-vis vest before getting out and set up the warning triangle according to local rules. If possible, get out on the side away from traffic. Where passengers are safest depends on the road and traffic – on fast roads usually behind a crash barrier, not next to the car.

Stay with the vehicle if it is safe. A car is much easier for helpers to find than a person on foot, and it protects from wind, cold and rain. Setting off on foot into the unknown at night is a typical and dangerous mistake: you get lost, are overlooked or get chilled.

In the desert or in great heat, also: carry plenty of water and in a breakdown stay in the shade of the vehicle. A vehicle emergency kit – light, warm clothing or a blanket, water, some food, a charging cable – makes long waits much more bearable.