Being attentive and staying vigilant to your surroundings when driving is essential, but navigating roads becomes more challenging at night given the compromised depth perception and peripheral vision that darkness causes.
Leading automotive manufacturers like Ford understand this and have equipped their vehicles with driver-assist features and safety technologies which ensure a safer drive at night. Here are tips to navigating road conditions after the sun has set:
1. Headlights are a must
Still, use your headlights responsibly to avoid blinding approaching drivers. In particular, refrain from switching to high beam which can bring excessive glare upon oncoming drivers.
The light emitting diodes (LED) headlights installed on the next-generation Ford Ranger, Ford Territory and Ford Everest are designed to provide ample visibility in darkness, lighting the driver’s way forward. The auto high-beam headlamps, which are part of the Ford Ranger and Ford Everest’s suite of advanced driver-assist technologies, automatically switch to high beam when drivers are navigating a very dark road with no traffic. Glare-free high beam uses a windshield-mounted camera to detect the headlights or taillights of vehicles and bicycles up to 800 meters away.
2. Maintain a 4-second distance
Driving at night makes keeping your distance from the vehicle in front trickier, especially with disrupted depth perception often caused by moving shadows. As a standard, apply the “3 to 4-second rule” at night which provides guidance that the recommended distance between your car and the vehicle in front of you be kept to 3 to 4 seconds at minimum to give you enough time to react in case the driver suddenly brakes.
The next-gen Ford vehicle lineup also comes with intelligent adaptive cruise control (ACC) function with Stop & Go, where the system automatically scans the vehicles ahead of you and gives the driver the option to set the distance he would like to maintain from the vehicle in front. The ACC function also gives drivers the option to set the cruising speed of the vehicle.
3. Stay in your lane
Driving late in the evening often means less traffic. While driving on a road free of traffic has its benefits, it does demand more focus and vigilance from the driver. It is advised to avoid sudden lane switching and unnecessary overtaking as vehicular accidents are more prone at night.
The next-gen Ranger, Territory, and Everest boast of a range of advanced features to ensure the driver gets all the assistance they need to stay in their lanes when they need to, such as the lane departure warning, lane keeping aid and collision mitigation system.
4. Stay fully awake
Driving in the dark can cause drowsiness which significantly increases the probability that an accident may happen. Help keep your mind to stay alert with an adrenaline-pumping playlist. The next-gen Ford vehicle lineup is equipped with modern tech features that connect your smartphone to the vehicle’s touchscreen display through Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto—letting you play the best tracks on your playlist to keep you awake.
If you feel that you cannot contain the fatigue, prioritize safety and pull over to the nearest and the safest part of the road for a quick nap.