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

Obviously you leave enough stopping distance and not drive right up their backside!

I got some new glasses especially for driving at night, with an anti-glare coating and they've been amazing - such a difference! Sorry to say I got them off the internet and they were shipped from China, so not very ethical, but I couldn't afford to go to the optician's for them.

Good tyres. Good wiper blades. Slow down a bit. Put sat nav on in torrential rain so you know roughly what direction the road goes in. I quite like driving in extreme weather though because I'm weird like that!

'Drive to Arrive' is good advice.
I am rural Scotland so loads of narrow twisty pitch black roads, often flooded (& high winds too) for potentially 6m of the year. Locals drive too fast, tourists drive too slow, heavy goods / farmers moving machiney can be challenging as well.

I simply slow down / pull over if necessary.
I cried when I had to drive at the tail end of Storm Arwen & I went around a roundabout onto the A1 & a lorry driver, who obviously considered I wasn't speeding up quickly enough, drove right up my rear, flashed & blew his horn, then drove alongside me for 100 yards, gesticulating, pulled in front & slowed down.
Dangerous. I was terrrified. I pulled over until I stopped shaking then quietly carried on (at about 45mph which was the only speed that was remotely safe)

Check yourself, check your car, drive to conditions, drive to arrive.
(you have my sympathies though, I hate night driving too)

OP I've only skimmed the thread so may have already been mentioned but do you suffer from flare?

Do you see lights the way kids draw the sun - like a circle with lines radiating out in all directions?

I had no idea this was a thing. I assumed everyone else saw the same.

It was only mentioned to me when I had laser eye surgery, an offhand comment about how large my pupils were and how I must get bad flare.

I remember S a kid on a day out, Dad just following the line of cars ahead in fog.

Cue one very surprised farmer when he got out of his van (at the front) and found about 6 cars had followed him into his farmyard!!

You haven’t mentioned your age, it’s possible you have cataracts developing and they will drastically affect your night vision and create additional glare. Opticians don’t always mention they are developing in the early stages and your vision in their eye tests will be fine as the screens are backlit.
Definitively worth a visit to the opticians as others have mentioned anti glare coatings and ask them about cataracts if you’re middle aged or above.

Hmm. Was your windscreen desteaming properly? Might it have misted up because your blowers weren't on?

I'm 30. I have an up to date prescription and glasses. I have a new-ish car which has had all its bulbs replaced with good ones because the ones it had when I got it were rubbish and last night was still poor for visibility.

You have to ignore the idiots. I was driving down a 50mph road that I know well. I know where the flooding is and I know the turns etc. It did not seem appropriate to me to drive above about 40/45 for the most part. Slowing where I knew there would be a flood. The rain was torrential and it was dark. People still flew past me, well above the speed limit. That's there choice. I choose to get home safely.

Slow down and ignore people driving too fast or trying to intimidate. Car lights are getting much brighter I'm frequently dazzled. I tend to look to the side and never into the car lights. I follow c

I follow cats eyes and on the motorway stay in the outside lane no lane hopping.

I've not RTFT, but I'd say get your eyes tested. I had a similar situation a few years ago, and after getting glasses I find night driving better. But also don't feel obliged to drive at speed just because done others are. There are lots of roads in this country that really should be reclassified speed wise, but it's such a huge task that it doesn't happen.

I hate being caught on fast roads in massive rainstorms when you can barely see the road in front of you. It’s a horrible feeling. My instinct is to slow right down but if it’s a single or dual carriageway you can’t really do that.

But rather than crying, which affects your visibility further, you just need to really concentrate.

Outside Lane? Lane 3? That seems like a very dangerous thing to do.

Sorry just seen you have had a recent eye test. Could you try anti glare treatment on your specs?

I too find it scary. What I do is take it slowly and count down baby steps. Calming breaths and it takes as long as it takes. If others overtake me, I fall back more as you need so much room to stop. If the rain is really bad I will pull over and get myself together to do a bit more.

It's not just us finding it hard. My bf has pulled over when the weather has been awful just to clear his head and see if it subsides a little.

If other drivers do not like it is it up to them. The goal is to get home/whenever in one piece.

do not do this!

@op you did the right thing slowing down.
you could also park up and stay until the worst has passed.

you need to learn not give a f regarding drivers that come close from behind. that will come with experience.

agree with pp that an eye test is a good idea. every driver should ideally have one every couple of years.

Why is it only women seem to be affected the nerves and fears that you read about on here?

Go at a speed you're comfortable with and let anyone brave enough overtake.

Lane 1 ! Sorry typo definitely not Lane 3

My DH is so uncomfortable with driving he failed his test a few times and then decided it wasn't for him.

Because the majority of posters here are women?

Can I just check you mistakenly wrote "outside" lane? You certainly shouldn't be driving permanently in the outside lane of a dual carriageway or motorway. Do you mean the inside lane, i.e. left lane?

@Kazzyhoward she's already said she meant Lane 1

You are in charge of the vehicle and in difficult conditions you need to drive at a speed you feel comfortable with. You can’t let other drivers make you feel you need to compromise. Unless you are holding up an ambulance or other emergency services then you need to trust your judgement.