Night driving protocol ?
Submitted: Monday, Apr 27, 2009 at 07:17
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Member - Lionel A (WA)
Hi all,
Yesterday the missus and I packed a picnic lunch and spent the day exploring tracks around a number of small
reserves we have noticed on maps but never bothered to visit in the past.
Turned out to be a great day, found heaps of tracks, some were quite challenging, only hiccup was a fuel blockage problem which, after sorted, saw us completing the tracks in the dark.
This added an extra dimension to the drive which we enjoyed.
Had a beer with the BIL and a couple of mates when we got back home and all of a sudden Ive been landed with the job of trip leader for a night drive through these same tracks next weekend.
Are there any protocols, rules or tips for night track driving such as use of spotties, high/low beams, distance between cars etc ?
Or is it just follow the leader and do as much as you can to annoy him....lol.
Cheers.....Lionel.
Reply By: get outmore - Monday, Apr 27, 2009 at 07:23
Monday, Apr 27, 2009 at 07:23
well for starters im surprised you missus let you leave the bitumen
Night drives do nothing for me - I do it to get somewhere but otherwise you can see FA and you can end up hitting dumn things and staking tyres you would otherwise miss
do you mean this WE or the one after?
AnswerID:
361771
Follow Up By: Member - Lionel A (WA) - Monday, Apr 27, 2009 at 07:41
Monday, Apr 27, 2009 at 07:41
Hey Davoe, ya getting a bit cynical in ya ol' age mate.
Track work at night provides a different set of challenges.
What is a doddle during the day can become a bitch at night and also notice more wildlife activity.
Your kinda right about Paula, the first thing she packed was the new Epirb in amongst the cold sausages, and we were only an hour out of town....lol.
Cheers.....Lionel.
FollowupID:
629514
Reply By: Wayne (NSW) - Monday, Apr 27, 2009 at 08:22
Monday, Apr 27, 2009 at 08:22
Lionel,
As a trip leader you have now taken on the responsibility of the trip.
I should imagine that a briefing before the trip starts would be in order.At this briefing I would out line where you plan on going and because of the conditions, being at night, this would not be an ordinary trip.
The usual convoy procedure would be used and the trip would be traveled at a slower speed.
As trip leader you should not have any problems with using hi-beam if no other vehicle is approaching you vehicle. As for the rest of the convey it would be up to the driver to advise the driver behind that it is OK for that vehicle to use hi-beam if required.
Adjusting the mirrors should reduce the headlight glare form the following vehicle. If you don't get the OK for use of hi-beam from the vehicle in front don't use it.
The use of spot lights should not be necessary.
Distance between vehicles should also be increased. Leaving a bit more room and allowing the full headlight spread of light on the track ahead will reduce the possibility of a mishap.
Wayne
AnswerID:
361778
Follow Up By: Member - Lionel A (WA) - Monday, Apr 27, 2009 at 08:35
Monday, Apr 27, 2009 at 08:35
Thanks Wayne, just boils down to common sense really.
Cheers.....Lionel.
FollowupID:
629525
Follow Up By: Bonz (Vic) - Thoughtfully- Monday, Apr 27, 2009 at 09:41
Monday, Apr 27, 2009 at 09:41
Yep common sense and watch the puddles, they seem to be deeper at night. Also, another thing I found night driving in the
Vic High Country, is that hot headlights and cold
water make for a cracking good time. Both my halogen headlights were stuffed after hitting cold
water with hot lights, a lesson that although it looks speccie hitting a puddle hard at nite, hot vs cold causes some damage.
FollowupID:
629544
Reply By: austastar - Monday, Apr 27, 2009 at 10:36
Monday, Apr 27, 2009 at 10:36
I nearly drove straight into a dam at night. Headlight (motorbike) just reflected straight off the
water, confusing me for a second before I realised what was happening.
cheers
AnswerID:
361801
Reply By: Member - Graham H (QLD) - Monday, Apr 27, 2009 at 13:47
Monday, Apr 27, 2009 at 13:47
Can someone enlighten me as to the advantages IF ANY of bushbashing in the dark.
Seems to me to be an exersise in futility.
I go driving to see new
places and cant see the logic in wasting fuel and risk damaging a good vehicle by doing this.
Maybe Im missing something here but dont think so
Cheers
AnswerID:
361836
Follow Up By: Wayne (NSW) - Monday, Apr 27, 2009 at 14:20
Monday, Apr 27, 2009 at 14:20
Graham,
There is no advantage in "bushbashing" day or night and Lionel did not say that he was bushbashing.
He had already driven the tracks, and because of a vehicle problem had to drive some of the tracks after sunset. He now has to lead a trip in the same area but at night. from what I can also gather from his post that it is not that far from home.
This is another form of exploring Australia and as long as it is done safely, just like towing a caravan, there should be no problem with driving at night.
Wayne
FollowupID:
629608
Follow Up By: Member - Graham H (QLD) - Monday, Apr 27, 2009 at 18:49
Monday, Apr 27, 2009 at 18:49
What I actually meant was off road driving.
I fail to see the point in driving around in the dark possibly cutting up tracks that are hard to see just for the sake of doing it.
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Chev-Patrol 6.5 V8 D - Monday, Apr 27, 2009 at 19:50
Monday, Apr 27, 2009 at 19:50
I'm with you Graham....I only drive at night to get from A to B. This can include a Friday night jaunt up the Stuart Hwy (or other), to get closer to somewhere we want to spend the weekend, for example.
However, it's gotta be a personal choice..... I'm getting too old to worry about night nav runs and all that caper.
I think of it in the same way as driving along a muddy track...... at some point you might come upon a large wash-out, full of muddy
water with goodness-knows-what sitting in the bottom of it. There could be a perfectly-good diversion around this bog hole. Some blokes will go through the bog hole with great gusto, just because they can. Thirty years ago, I probably would've done the same thing. Now however, I will always take the easiest/safest route; the least likely to cause damage to track or vehicle. But that's just me!!! hahahaha
Roachie
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Member - Lionel A (WA) - Tuesday, Apr 28, 2009 at 08:55
Tuesday, Apr 28, 2009 at 08:55
I enjoy peddling my car, be it day or night.
Driving tracks at night requires more caution, more inter-car comms and involves passengers a lot more.
Lights play tricks on surrounding bush and you find that the level of alertness increases. This allows you to see things differently and in some cases, to see things you have never noticed before.
The wildlife appears more active at night, and again, your able to spot animals you wouldnt normally do so.
As Wayne suggests....just another way to see the country.
Also wonder just how many members spend a fortune on fancy lights and never get to use them.
Cheers......Lionel.
FollowupID:
629768
Reply By: Member - BUNDY BOY (WA) - Monday, Apr 27, 2009 at 14:33
Monday, Apr 27, 2009 at 14:33
Hi Lionel
As you know we potter around at night ,quit a bit ..( i love it)..ads a totally different look on everything .even tracks you've been on many times..... its a lot slower as you would expect.....i wouldn't do anything ...to outrageous unless there's a few
winches handy....this is were those spots on the roof ,would come in handy.....but yer common sense .and radio coms for unseen things....and its just fun..
Cheers BUNDY
AnswerID:
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Reply By: Crackles - Monday, Apr 27, 2009 at 22:13
Monday, Apr 27, 2009 at 22:13
"Are there any protocols, rules or tips for night track driving such as use of spotties, high/low beams, distance between cars etc ?"
We like to slip in a night drive or two every year & generally get everyone to space themselves out enough that all can run high beam for most of the trip. Pays to allow 50% extra time to negotiate more difficult tracks than what one would take in the day. I normally udjust the mirrors up so the car behind doesn't bother me at all.
For the ultimate night drive have a go at the Pajero challenge. A 24 hour drive navigating through the Vic bush on some quite challenging tracks.
Cheers Craig............
AnswerID:
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