Your mind can play tricks on you at night and things can appear very different than they would during the day, so you need to keep your wits about you.

Here are a few pointers to help you shine some light on night driving:

• Give your lights a clean and check they’re working properly (yes, all of them including your hazard lights), so you can see better in the dark .
• Windscreen wipers are really important in bad weather, so make sure they work and give your windscreen the once over to check it’s crystal clear.
• If you’re feeling sleepy while driving then stop and take a break. Obviously stop in a safe place e.g. not the hard shoulder on a motorway. Get a breath of fresh air, stretch your legs and drink some coffee or an energy drink.
• If you’re feeling tired then it’s best not to go on any long journeys. Don’t fool yourself into thinking you’ll be alright. Your reaction time slows down and just shutting your eyes for a second can cause an accident.
• Driving at speed might get you there quicker but not always in one piece. You’re safer to drive at a speed where you can stop safely within the distance that you can see in your headlights.
• Remember when overtaking that speed and distance are affected at night, and it can be difficult to judge. So take your time to make sure you judge your speed and distance correctly.

When parking at night, park:

• In a well lit area.
• Close to the kerb.
• At least 10 metres away from a junction.
• Facing the same direction as the traffic is going. You can only park against the direction of the traffic if you're in a recognised parking space.
• Display parking lights on roads with a speed limit greater than 30 mph.