About driving
When conditions change
Night driving
When to use headlights
You must turn on your vehicle's headlights:
- from 30 minutes after sunset, until 30 minutes before sunrise
- at any other time when you can't clearly see a person or vehicle 100 metres away.
Never drive with just the park lights on.
Speed at night
At night, just as during the daytime, you must drive at a safe speed. This means that:
- on a road with lanes, you must be able to stop in the length of clear road you can see in front of you
- on a road with no lanes, you must be able to stop in half the length of clear road you can see in front of you.
Use markers to guide you when driving at night
Many roads have reflectors and guide posts to help you 'read' the road at night. Some examples of these are shown below.
Left side of road marker post Right side of road marker post
indicating left-hand bend
Left side of bridge Right side of bridge
Left side of road Centre line
No passing Fire hydrant
Important
Be aware that at night, because most road signs are highly reflective, your lights shining on them may make you think you can clearly see further than you really can. Make sure you drive more slowly and carefully at night, particularly on unfamiliar roads.
Last updated: 27 September 2010