CLEAR HEADLIGHTS, Very Essential for Night-time Driving

There are a number of factors that contribute to the high night-time accident rate in Nigeria; especially on the street of Lagos, drowsy driving and higher rate of impaired driving has caused a number of casualties within our society. Majority of road users – drivers are so conscious of waking up and setting on the road very early in the morning to beat the traffic everyday whereas they pay less or no attention to their headlamp bulbs and windshield wiper condition until such little thing fails and disappoint them; or when stopped by FRSC officials for assessment.

Without a doubt, visibility is a major contributor. Let's focus on visibility… It's said that 90 percent of our driving decisions are based on what we see. Night-time driving has the effect of reducing 20/20 vision to the equivalent of 20/50 vision. What you could clearly see at 50 feet in daylight can't be seen until you are just 20 feet away at night. 

Accident avoidance is dependent on reaction time. Reaction time deteriorates measurably in low light conditions. One thing we can do to improve visibility is to make sure our headlights are as bright as they can possibly be. Headlight bulbs dim over time. They dim so gradually that you may not notice it. 

Many experts suggest replacing your standard or halogen headlight bulbs once a year.

If your vehicle has standard headlamps, consider upgrading to halogen lamps, they make a big difference. And there are upgrades available within the halogen category as well. This once-a-year expense is very modest compared to the safety benefits. Some millennium cars come with high intensity discharge – or HID – headlamps. These lamps should last for the life of the car. They are very bright and are clearly the best option for night-time driving. 

Depending on your vehicle brand, model and specs, you may be able to upgrade to HID headlamps. 

And another startling fact is that 90 percent of cars on the road (especially Tokunbo cars) have dirty or yellowed headlight covers. The good news is that they are easy to fix, there is a lot of auto-workshop around Lagos where you can get it cleaned, and it can also be done at Ladipo spare-parts market at a relatively cheap price.

Also plastic headlight covers of some new cars can become yellow or hazy over time, but can be restored to clarity with a special polishing process.

It is advisable you clean your headlight at least twice a week and also ensure you check your headlight bulbs for replacement before the start of raining season or harmattan so that you can drive with the greatest visibility always.

It's also vital to keep your windshield clean and streak free when driving at night. Make sure you have plenty of washer fluid and that your windshield wipers are in good working order. 

I will recommend you to check the condition of your wiper blades once in every month and also ensure you replace them once a year especially during raining season.

'A good headlight and clear windshield they say is the sight and gateway the driver use to navigate the vehicle though the darkest path'