Winter has actually arrived...and July School Holidays are a great time to get some driving practice in!

Licencing laws in Queensland require learners to log 100 hours, including 10 hours of night driving (between sunset and sunrise). This poses very different challenges for both learners and instructors. Vision and depth perception at night are very different than during the day.

While the most common time for accidents is during peak hour, it’s no surprise that the stakes are markedly higher when it comes to night driving. Learners need as much night-time practice as possible – and winter school holidays present the perfect opportunity to do just that! The sun sets earlier in winter (about 5pm) so that means more potential time to get on the road.

Night Driving Experiences

Learners should be encouraged to drive as much as possible in a variety of driving conditions, including at night. And winter nights are a fantastic time to get behind the wheel.

Here are some key tips for driving at night that might make all the difference.

• Ask your learner to be diligent about checking lights. Ensure that all windows and headlines are clean. This will improve visibility both in and outside of the car.
• Discuss ‘high beam’ etiquette to ensure that all are safe on the road.
• Position the rear-view mirror to avoid reflections of other people’s headlights.
• Keep those eyes moving! Talk about the importance of keeping aware of headlights, signage and obstacles.
• Increase distance between your learner’s car and the car in front.
• Encourage the use of frequent breaks to avoid fatigue.
• Log night driving hours in the Queensland Transport logbook.

Points to Remember

• Learners must complete 100 of supervised on-road driving over 12 months, including 10 hours of driving at night.
• Each drive with a qualified instructor is equivalent to three hours of on-road experience, meaning that 10 hours of lessons with an accredited driving school is equivalent to 30 hours in your logbook.
• Log driving time in minutes to make calculations easier.
• Go for your driving lesson from 4.30 pm onwards in the winter months - driving at sunset will give you experience driving at dusk and low light conditions and also count towards your night driving hours.
• Book in a 10-lesson package to ensure that you reach those milestones quicker and more efficiently.

Keen to get on the road? Talk to Ace Driving School today to book your next lesson!