MOTORING NEWS - Many of us are so used to driving it's become like brushing our teeth or putting on socks. 

This isn't necessarily a bad thing. Being comfortable behind the wheel makes you a safer driver, but being too relaxed about the situation can have disastrous results. 

At night you simply need to be extra careful and pay more attention.

Here are a few reminders for night owls:

Get back to basics
Make sure the windscreen is clean. This sounds like such a simple tip, but most of us don't bother if there are a few splattered bugs on the windscreen. 

At night, however, these can become a serious distraction. They keep catching your eye. 

With changing light reflections, marks on your windscreen can look as if they're moving, startling you or even causing you to swerve. 

Just give the windscreen a wipe and if you're undertaking a long trip, make sure the washer fluid is topped up.

Stay away from the light
Many drivers struggle with glare or reflections caused by the headlights of oncoming vehicles. 

If you're driving through unlit areas, such as the long trek through the Karoo, you need to pay careful attention to not get temporarily blinded by oncoming vehicles. 

Try to keep your eyes on 'your' side of the road, so you're not staring directly into the oncoming lights, but still be aware of where the oncoming vehicle is. 

When you're doing a long, dark drive, it's easy to almost become "hypnotised" by oncoming lights. If you're aware of it, you'll be able to avoid it.

Check your own lights
Most new vehicles have intelligent headlights that adjust automatically to the curve of the road and oncoming vehicles. 

However, if you're a regular night driver, get the lights checked more often. If your own lights are unwittingly set too high, you could blind oncoming drivers and cause an accident.

Drivers in rural, farming, or wildlife areas will often set their lights to illuminate as much as possible next to the road. The risk of animals standing or running onto the road is high.

You want to spot them as soon as possible. A handy tip: you'll often be able to see the light reflecting off the eyes of nearby animals. If you see two or more tiny pinpricks of light, slow down.

Stay awake and aware
One of the biggest dangers when driving at night is falling asleep behind the wheel or encountering another driver who has done so. 

Everyone has their own tricks - open windows, singing, upbeat music or extra coffee.

Plan ahead when you know you'll be driving at night. Keeping yourself alert is not just about staying awake - it's about remaining as alert and aware as possible. 

Being just a "little tired" is not an option. 

Visibility is limited at night, which means hazards are often only seen at the last moment. 

You need to be very alert in order to react fast enough.

Avoid distractions
This applies at all times, but it's especially important at night, due to reduced visibility. The most obvious distraction is your cellphone. 

If you need to be connected, make sure you have a safe hands-free option. Try not to make or answer calls unless you really need to.

It's often tricky to keep the balance between staying alert and avoiding distractions. 

Loud music and eating while driving are considered distractions, but some people find these keep them awake and focused.

You need to find what works best for you, but keep it logical: the music shouldn't be so loud that you miss the police sirens behind you and the snacks shouldn't be too complicated to handle. 

A bowl of soup, for example, is probably not a good idea.

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