When you hop into your car to embark on that long drive home after work, the combination of darkness and the glare of the city can give you an added dose of anxiety to deal with before the day is fully done. With poor visibility and low lighting it means you’ve got to be on your A game when it comes to staying concentrated and focused. So if night driving has got your feeling overwhelmed, just follow these five tips to help you steer safely:

Keep Your Windshield Spotless

We all know how important this is – especially when the sun is low and that glare is beaming right in on that dust-laden windshield.  But for those who routinely have to drive at night, even after that sun has set, there’s still the danger of having those glaring lights impair your sight from water spots or dust on the windshield.

So be sure to keep that windshield spotless – and that doesn’t just mean a simple flick of the windshield wash. It’s much more effective to give the window an actual wipe with a streak-free cleaning product to ensure there’s no residue left behind.

Wear Anti-Reflective Glasses

If you wear glasses and feel like the lights and glare of that oncoming traffic are impacting your sight, look for glasses with lenses that are anti-reflective. If night-time driving is a common part of your routine, it’s worth the time and money to invest in a pair.

Turn Off Your Cell Phone

This is clearly one of the more obvious and important tips, yet we all know how many times in a day you can spot those heads dipping to and fro their mobile devices while behind the wheel. Do yourself and your fellow drivers a favour and help keep the roads safer by turning off your phone or keeping it well out of reach while driving – especially at night.

Keep Your Car Interior Dark

If you have any lights glowing within your car – even the dashboard – it helps to dim them or turn them off so that your eyes can more easily adjust to the darkness outside. If you’ve just stepped out from a brightly lit room, it also helps to give your eyes just a few minutes and allow them to adjust to the low light before driving.

Get Your Eyes Tested

For as important as they are, it seems that our eyes get neglected when it comes to getting them tested. It can be easy to ignore a few irritations or blurriness, but it’s important to make the effort to go and get them tested. That minor blurriness could end up having a much larger impact on your drive home. Book an eye exam with your local Orleans optometrist.

When it comes to night driving, it’s important to treat your vision well, and that goes for removing any distracting factors that can impair your vision. Follow these tips to ensure your night drive is a safe one.