Night time driving test

renegadefm

Hi,  bit of an hypothetical topic,  but it just struck me odd that you can have driving lessons during daylight,  and the test is during the day,  yet the newly passed person has to at some point drive in the dark which is a whole different experience.
The reason I brought this up is I wanted to see other drivers opinions on this,  for example shouldn't there be lessons with your instructor in the dark at least so new drivers are not thrown into a potentially nerve wracking first drive in the dark where they could potentially have an accident?
My partner has just psssed her test but had to take me to work in the morning yesterday when it was still pitch black and found it terrifying because shes never driven in the dark. And has said she will avoid it at all costs in the future. I simply said well if you need the car you will have to take me to work as we cant afford 2 cars.
It got me thinking how many new drivers or in fact experienced daylight drivers actually dont like driving at night?
Is it out of the question to assume we need a daylight and night time test or lessons? 

elsien

It's easily sorted - its not difficult to book a driving lesson in the dark, given it goes dark so early in winter. 

renegadefm

elsien said:

It's easily sorted - its not difficult to book a driving lesson in the dark, given it goes dark so early in winter. 

Well the instructor my partner had doesn't work after 5pm, so its not quite pitch black yet, and it wasent really mentioned. My point is these things are not talked about until the driver is chucked in the deep end after they are passed and has that maiden voyage in the dark. Plus we live in a rural area with little street lights, in fact most roads have no street lights at all.
But what if you pass your test in the middle of summer, your still going to eventually be faced with driving for the first time in the dark.
Shouldnt there be a test for the dark aswell as the day?
Some drivers find it a whole different experience driving in the dark like my partner just has. She didn't realize how different it was going to be, almost going off the road in places. 

PasturesNew

The point of a test is it indicates you can now continue to teach yourself, without an instructor.  
It doesn't indicate: My God you're the best driver in the world and can now do what you want, wherever, whenever. 
It's just a piece of paper that says you know enough to not need supervision any more. 
If you're a driver.... you could be doing these night drives.  Either driving yourself and talking out loud what you're doing/observing, or sitting beside her and seeing what she misses. 

elsien

Most people practice their driving with friends and family as well. It shouldn't come as a great surprise to learners that at some point they're going to need to drive in the dark and practice accordingly.
Ditto torrential rain, snow and fog. Do you want a test for all of those as well? 
A rural area with few lights and less traffic seems a better way to practice driving at night than in a busy city centre. For example.  Your gf is going to come across a lot of driving situations she's not met before. It's just about practice and confidence. 

olgadapolga

All of my driving lessons were in the dark as I learned to drive after work during late Autumn/early winter (after the clocks had gone back and before they went forward again). All of the driving I did with other people was also at night. It was only as I approached the date of my test that my instructor decided that I should have a "daytime" lesson so that the shock of driving when it was light wouldn't be too much during my test.

That said, I don't really like driving at night these days (many years after I passed my test) as my short-sightedness appears to get  worse in the dark.

renegadefm

PasturesNew said:

The point of a test is it indicates you can now continue to teach yourself, without an instructor.  
It doesn't indicate: My God you're the best driver in the world and can now do what you want, wherever, whenever. 
It's just a piece of paper that says you know enough to not need supervision any more. 
If you're a driver.... you could be doing these night drives.  Either driving yourself and talking out loud what you're doing/observing, or sitting beside her and seeing what she misses. 

I know but my point is, classic case was yesterday my partner passed her test on the 13th of Feb,  so has been driving around with ease during the day so far,  but needed the car yesterday which meant taking me to work at 6am when its still pitch black,  but she told me after she got home after dropping me off to work she was terrified and nearly veered off the road several times,  yet her sight is fine. 
I'm not always going to be with her is my point.
How many drivers actually suffer this problem but dont say anything but just avoid going out in the dark? 

elsien

olgadapolga said:

All of my driving lessons were in the dark as I learned to drive after work during late Autumn/early winter (after the clocks had gone back and before they went forward again). All of the driving I did with other people was also at night. It was only as I approached the date of my test that my instructor decided that I should have a "daytime" lesson so that the shock of driving when it was light wouldn't be too much during my test.

That said, I don't really like driving at night these days (many years after I passed my test) as my short-sightedness appears to get  worse in the dark.

I noticed more glare at night after laser eye surgery. I was recommended having glasses just for nighttime driving which I keep in the car and they do make a difference.

renegadefm

olgadapolga said:
 It was only as I approached the date of my test that my instructor decided that I should have a "daytime" lesson so that the shock of driving when it was light wouldn't be too much during my test.

But you just basically explained what I meant in reverse,  my partners instructor not once mentioned it would be worth while her having a few winter evening lessons in the dark as this would have been so easily arranged as shes only just passed. 
But found her first time driving in the dark a whole different experience, she said the blinding car lights coming at you almost made her lose track of the road. 

EssexExile

There are loads of situations that you come across while driving that you won't meet on lessons, they can't cover everything. I went out at night & I went out in the snow but there are still lots of things I didn't experience.

renegadefm

elsien said:

Ditto torrential rain, snow and fog. Do you want a test for all of those as well? 

Those conditions will come eventually but not as common as the dark,  she could make the decision to not drive in extreme conditions compared to the dark.
My whole point was if drivers avoid or cant drive in the dark surely they shouldn't be driving at all,  albeit that sounds harsh,  but I'd hate to think their going to have accidents if their not feeling in control.