To ask how the hell to drive in the dark and rain?

[hanketypankety]

So yesterday I got caught driving home in a huge rainstorm. It was dark and I was driving along a main road but in an area surrounded by fields and no street lights. I'm embarrassed to say that I panicked and was crying in the car because I genuinely could not see a thing. To make it worse, lots of cars were either riding up my arse or overtaking me very fast. I eventually came up to an estate and pulled over to quietly have a stern word with myself to pull it together. But I guess I was just a bit overwhelmed that the majority of the traffic continued to be able to drive at the speed limit of 60 quite happily. I honestly could not see the road markings and that road often floods so no idea if and when I would hit a huge puddle and either skid off or flood my car. Any tips? Please be kind as I was genuinely frightened

Turn on your cars headlights and wind screen wipers and go at a speed you're comfortable with 🤷‍♀️

I was out on country lanes last night and recognise what you say. Sounds like you did the right thing slowing down. I was glad to get home. My driving instructor used to say to me that the best place for a dangerous driver is in front of you. That way you can control your speed and distance. So, don’t worry about being overtaken unless you were had taken slow to an extreme.

Don't feel bad. I can't drive in the dark and heavy rain with glasses. Many people can't. I just pull over to a safe place, service station or something like that and wait for it to let up some. I can't drive in blinding snow either day or night.

I struggle too sometimes I drive in the dark ok in the rain ok but both together? Hate it absolutely hate it I have a meriva it's fucking useless in wet weather wheel spinning fishtail nightmare so I have to go slow (the tyres etc are fine it's just what it does)

Part of the driving lesson failings in my view is your rarely asked to drive in the dark I don't blame instructors for this but learning to drive in the daylight then suddenly having to get used to driving in the dark is awful I didn't even know where my bloody lights were 😂

I must admit to feeling some mild anxiety in the circumstances you describe. But I am very rarely out after dark. First remember you are only responsible for driving your car and shouldn't feel intimidated by the behaviour of other drivers. Easy for me to say huh ?. Practically , I would suggest approaching a proper driving instructor, explain how you feel and book some lessons specifically to give you more confidence driving in poor conditions. The Institute for Advanced Motoring might be able to offer other advice. Don't give up 💐

many cars have those ridiculous white lights which should be banned as they are far too bright.

Seconded!

They are ridiculously bright, and probably encourage the drivers to be more reckless because the increased range of vision will give a false sense of security.

It's always easier to drive in poor visibility conditions if you've got a car in front of you as you can use their rear lights to guide you and their brake lights give you advance warning of any obstacles etc.

Being first with nothing in front of you is always going to be more difficult.

Best thing if you find yourself "in front" is pull over, let others pass and then follow them!

I went to my evening class last night and everyone was saying how awful it was driving on the rain last night. I don't know if it's because we haven't had much night rain or if it was just particularly heavy. It was horrible though and nothing wrong with pulling over for a bit OP.

You are having a laugh? Nasty SUVs on country lanes! 🙄🙄

^ Poster completely oblivious to the fact that you get more big cars on country lanes because that’s what some people need to drive on the country lanes in winter. You would just sit at the bottom of the hill with your wheels spinning round here on an icy morning, completely unable to get up the road.

100% agree with this.

@Kazzyhoward
”It's always easier to drive in poor visibility conditions if you've got a car in front of you as you can use their rear lights to guide you and their brake lights give you advance warning of any obstacles etc.”

No, no, no, no, no!!! 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯 This is dangerous driving. You do not know what the vehicle in front is going to do. As your mother probably said to you when you were a child, if xxx stuck his head in the oven, would you do that to? I’m horrified by the number of people who think this is an acceptable way of driving in bad weather - even one person suggesting this is too many, and you are not the first on this thread even. It explains why you see so many rear end shunts in bad weather.

I remember once going to an appointment in the middle of nowhere one evening, when I left it was dark and thick fog and I couldn't see more than five feet in front. It was so scary. Now I think I would pull over and wait for a car to pass and follow them.

Like you I don't like driving in certain conditions, especially at half light, my eyes can't decide to focus on light or dark.

How am I dangerous when I drove at a slower speed due to the dangerous conditions and pulled over when I really felt unsafe?

You did the right thing. Sounds like a horrible experience. People drive like lunatics in bad weather, not taking into account the conditions, and are scary enough speeding up other cars' arses even on a fine sunny day.

Honestly op if you were crying whilst driving that won't have helped your ability to see at all! You really need to try and stay calm

Best advice I was ever given for night time driving: don't focus on the markings in the middle of the road, focus on the white line on the left hand side of the road. If you position your car appropriately to that it will keep you in your lane, due to road camber that is the part of the road most likely to flood so you will see any large puddles coming and it means you're not looking directly at on coming headlights. In the UK all headlights point slightly to the left so cars coming towards you shouldn't have headlights that stretch that far across the road so it massively reduces dazzle from oncoming lights

Other things to think about - is your windscreen clean inside and out? Lots of people don't clean the inside of their windscreen but it does get dusty and impacts visibility.
Are your wiper blades clean and in good condition? If they're covered in muck then they will spread that across your windscreen every time they wipe making visibility worse and if they're deteriorating they don't clear the water properly (they're only rubber, they break down. If you use de-icer in the winter it speeds up the deterioration a lot!)
Do your glasses have anti-glare coating? This is game changing so if they don't I'd really recommend adding it to your next pair. It's expensive but well worth it in my opinion

I'm a really experienced driver - been driving over 25 years, and regularly spend more than 4 hours per day in my car on motorways and country roads, doing thousands and thousands of miles a year. Even I find driving in the rain and dark a challenge, and only yesterday was panicking a little on the motorway when I was suddently blinded by the rain on the windscreen and couldn't see.

It's normal to feel this, and slowing down and staying calm is the answer. Just ignore what the other drivers are doing. There's a reason why more crashes happen under these conditions, and the drivers not adapting their diving to meet the conditions make the roads less safe.

Ha! I hadn’t even twigged she’d said those rotten old SUVs were too big for lanes. What a dope.

I have the biggest of big SUVs and live down the weeniest of lanes. Because I’m out in the sticks and because that’s what country lanes are like. And my nasty old SUV means I can leave my house for food during winter, plus I can tow my animals and their round bale forage up to the fields, I can also complete my tasks as a winter volunteer taking the lovely old dears who (selfishly, I’m sure some will say) have chosen to live in their lovely rural cottages rather than get stacked up like pancakes in retirement accommodation, to the supermarket and hospital appointments.

😬 people are funny daft.

I’m another person who hopes those super bright led headlights get banned. It’s all very well for the driver of that car having better visibility but it blinds everyone else! There was a cyclist on the road coming towards me with a super bright led flashing light which was even worse.
At one point I looked in my wingmirror and it was just a ball of yellow light from the van behind. Doesn’t help that I’m in a Hyundai i10 so quite low, makes you feel very vunerable sometimes.

@hanketypankety It might be the setting your headlights are on - our garage angles the headlights right down to the ground every time the car goes in and then I find myself out on a dark A road with half a foot of light on the road ahead so no ability to see beyond that and oncoming traffic meaning I can’t use the full beams. There’s a dial to turn them up slightly so you get more like 2 metres of light on the road even when they’re dipped. I can’t do it safely when driving so I need to check every time the car’s been near the garage.

Dont have stern word with yourself when you are frightened. its ok to be frightened by something that others find no problem. be king to yourself and work out your own strategies.

That sounds unsafe. Sounds like you are tailgating?
Do not focus on another drivers lights! Just slow down yourself and focus on the road.

I don’t drive at night for the same reasons, I just can’t see well enough to do so. Much safer for me and others despite driving accident-free for 50 years.
As a passenger night driving makes me very car sick and prone to migraines too ☹️

OP you are not alone, I find it difficult to drive in those conditions now especially as I got older, my glasses prescription (that I only wear for driving) has increased and I am more risk adverse than I was in my 20s/30s/40s.

I also think a big part of the problem is some cars with "better" lights - but only for them as they cause ridiculous glare for other drivers. Also there are more vehicles with higher lights that again cause more glare at eye level.

All you can do is make sure your car is in good working order, wipers are clearing the screen well, dipped lights are correctly positioned and drive at a speed you are comfortable with.

I have pulled over before when I was at the front of the "queue" in heavy fog and rejoined after other cars had passed, as it does help to have a car in front, not to follow, but as a point of reference.

If anyone truly feels unsafe in extreme weather conditions they should consider alternatives to driving that journey. It is not worth the risk.

How bad are your eyes OP? I ask because as my prescription has gotten worse (I’m now -5 in both eyes) I find I struggle in similar conditions. Unfortunately the only way around it is to avoid driving in those conditions.

I'm exactly the same OP and my eyes are fine. Maybe it's because I don't drive in the dark and heavy rain very often. People driving up your behind gets right on my nerves.

Totally normal not to like it, and you pulled over when you didn’t feel like you had good visibility, which makes you a good and safe driver in my opinion.