Driving at night has its charm (less traffic, clear roads), but with a motorhome the rules change quite a bit: the size, the headlights, tiredness and wildlife all make it more demanding than driving by day. The great advantage of a camper is that you almost never have to drive at night: you bring your bed with you. Still, if you need to, here are the tips.
Why it's harder at night
- Less visibility: headlights reach less far, and with a large, tall vehicle, manoeuvres and judging distances become trickier.
- More tiredness: night-time brings on sleepiness, and driver fatigue is one of the main causes of accidents.
- Wildlife: on secondary and mountain roads, animals cross more at night; a collision with the camper can be serious.
- Glare and difficulty reading the road.
The camper's great advantage: you don't have to
This is where a motorhome plays in your favour: since you're bringing your home with you, you almost never need to drive at night. If you start feeling sleepy or it's getting late, stop somewhere safe and sleep; there's no rush to arrive. This is, in fact, one of the great safety advantages of camper travel. Make the most of it.
If you do have to drive at night
- Well rested: never drive when sleepy; if it hits you, stop and sleep.
- Prudent speed and a bigger safety distance; at night everything appears later.
- Clean, properly aligned headlights, and lights in good condition.
- Watch out for wildlife in rural and mountain areas; slow down where signs warn of it.
- Frequent breaks: every couple of hours, stop and move around.
Rest, the key
Driving safely starts with resting well, and for that a camper is ideal if you have what you need to sleep comfortably (temperature, power). Arriving at the wheel well rested is what reduces the risk the most (secure your range with the calculator).
In short
Driving a camper at night is more demanding because of visibility, tiredness and wildlife, but the great advantage is that you almost never need to: you bring your bed with you. The step to take today: plan your stages to drive during the day and, if it does become night or you feel sleepy, stop and sleep somewhere safe; it's not worth the risk when you have your home along for the ride. Pair it with driving in the mountains.