About riding
Night riding
When to dip your vehicle's headlight
You must dip your vehicle's headlight:
- when other vehicles are coming towards you, so that you don't blind the oncoming driver
- when you are following other vehicles
- when a police officer is directing traffic
- when you park.
Dipping the headlight for an oncoming vehicle
Dipping the headlight when following another vehicle
At other times, use your high beam so you can see further.
Important
When to use your headlight:
- You must also turn on either your moped or motorcycle's headlight or daytime running lights during daylight hours if your motorcycle or moped was manufactured on or after 1 January 1980.
- If your moped or motorcycle was manufactured before 1 January 1980, you must turn on your moped or motorcycle's headlight during the hours of darkness, from 30 minutes after sunset until 30 minutes before sunrise.
Speed at night
At night, just as during the daytime, you must ride 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.
Wearing the right gear
It's important to wear clothing and equipment that help you be seen at night.
Put reflective tape on your clothes, or better still wear reflective clothing. See Wearing the right gear for more information about clothing for motorcyclists.
Wearing a reflective vest
It's also a good idea to have reflectors and/or reflective tape on the side of your motorcycle.
Important
Wearing a scratched face-shield is dangerous. It will pick up reflective glare from oncoming vehicles. Replace a scratched face-shield immediately.
Safety tips for night riding
Riding at night is more dangerous than riding during the day. To improve your safety on the road at night:
- make sure your visor and the motorcycle's lights are clean
- never wear dark or tinted glasses, visors or goggles
- watch for pedestrians and cyclists - they are harder to see at night
- stop and rest if you are sleepy
- don't blind other drivers with your vehicle's headlight - dip it when vehicles are coming towards you or when you are following another vehicle
- if you are blinded by the lights of oncoming vehicles:
- slow down or stop
- try to keep your eyes on the left side of the road, so you're not looking directly at the light
- ride at a speed that means you can see the road at least two seconds ahead
- use the lights of the vehicle ahead - tail lights bouncing up and down can alert you to bumps or rough patches.
Riding at night
Use markers to guide you when riding 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 light shining on them may make you think you can clearly see further than you really can. Make sure you ride more slowly and carefully at night, particularly on unfamiliar roads.
Last updated: 25 June 2010