AARoads Forum

What's your opinion on the matter?

I love driving at night, especially a long drive across the state (which here in Texas can be an all-night drive of hundreds of miles).  There's something really neat about the darkness and loneliness of it, assuming it's a rural drive as mine usually are.

I used to enjoy night driving because it seems to go by faster, but I've had enough close calls with wild animals and witnessed enough near collisions that I am increasingly weary about it. On interstates, where that's less likely to happen, I do enjoy night driving - there's just something about the vibe.

That said, I don't count anything I drive at night as clinched (because you can't see much off the road outside of urban freeways), so I stick to day driving.

My answer is similar to corco's (though I'll count night clinches if they happen). There's nothing like driving through a major metro area at night. I typically avoid rural night drives because of the possibility of animal collisions, though ironically my one actual deer strike happened in the morning.

I used to do alot of night driving back in the late 90s when I worked road construction in Pine Bluff, AR. I would leave home about 2 a.m. Monday morning to be at work at 6. There were a few occasions where I would catch myself falling asleep at the wheel. All the coffee in the world didn't seem to help that. One night, on what was then AR 15 (now US 63) between the Ouachita River & Hermitage, AR, I drove up on the world's largest herd of deer. I was able to stop & count about 25 head of deer grazing alongside the road at about 3:30 a.m. I haven't seen a herd that large since.

I agree with Corco...I want to see the sights in the daytime to count the route as clinched.

I'm okay with freeways at night, especially in large metro areas where you can avoid a lot of traffic and get going somewhere without a hassle.  Night time everywhere generally sucks given that you have to be more alert for animal encounters.  Last October in fact I had a pack of six-seven deer run out in front of me at 6 AM on UT 95 just outside of Blanding, UT.  I had about 30 feet when the last one popped out and it was going be him, not me.  Did some pretty heavy damage to the hood of the car but luckily it was all cosmetic and I was able to keep going....which was to the Moki Dugway, Monument Valley, in addition to the Grand Canyon that day.  Aside from that, I really have a hard time taking pictures of the road in motion during night hours.  So that regard I would generally prefer day time on anything outside of some suburban stretch of freeway I've done a million times.

I like both, but at night I usually stick to more developed areas due to deer, especially during their mating season (around now) when they're particularly likely to wander into the road. When I was working nights earlier this year I would drive around the empty streets of Richmond on my nights off. Back roads I prefer to drive in the daytime, since many of them south of Richmond are lacking when it comes to curve signage.

Both have their appeal in certain circumstances. For travel through new and unfamiliar territory I greatly prefer daytime, so as to be able to see the landscape. A nighttime drive can be cool as part of some adventurous jaunt with friends, say, although the circumstances are increasingly rare where I have the mental acuity for late-night shenanigans anymore. ;-)

On the other hand, what I find appealing more and more these days is a super-early, possibly pre-dawn departure for a long trip, so that I can get through or out of the city before traffic builds, traverse open country during morning rush hour, and reach my destination before the evening commute. And of course, before nightfall, because conversely, what I dislike most is a daytime drive that runs into the night and ends after dark, since I really start to feel fatigued once the sun goes down.

Strangely, unlike almost everyone else here, deer and wildlife don't seem to factor into my preferences at all...

Deer are a constant issue 24/7/366 here. Back in March a deer HIT ME in the driver's side of my Challenger...in broad daylight. An 18-wheeler finished it off immediately after the hit.

I like day driving for being able to see the sights (?) and get sign photos.  But there's something about a dead-of-night drive in a rural area to make one feel like "to heck with the world, I'm on my own and doing my own thing."  Having said that, I'm a lot more wary about rural night driving since I hit a deer on I-96 and totaled my car last year -- about 2:00am Sunday of Memorial Day weekend.  I now keep my fog lights on pretty much all the time at night because I want as much light as possible.  My car's fog lights actually light to the sides pretty well.

When I was in my 20s I preferred night driving due to there being less traffic, easier to see people coming from further away on two-lane roads, and the ability to use a radar detector without it being seen from outside the vehicle. Nowadays I prefer day driving because I find headlight glare sometimes seems to bother me more than it used to (I'm told that's just part of the aging process), because I don't have the energy to drive as late into the night as I used to, and of course because of deer. Last week driving back from Charlottesville at night via the rural two-lane roads I definitely felt like it required way more concentration than it does during the day.

In terms of day conditions, for long-distance drives I prefer a nice overcast day to a sunny day simply for reduced glare.

I don't have any issues with counting it as a clinch if I drive a road at night.

Day driving, for a multitude of reasons. Being able to see sights is one thing, but being able to see, period, is the major issue with me. Combine darkness with rain or fog and the visibility issues just aren't worth the hassle if they can be avoided. And because of deer, I try to avoid driving on any high-speed roadway after dark. After a road meet in the northeast a few years back, I was overnighting in the Scranton area. It got dark on me about halfway down I-88, and I was a nervous wreck the rest of the way to Binghamton and on to Scranton, afraid I'd hit a deer. I have enough close calls these days in late afternoon/twilight hours driving home from work on a 45 mph two-laner as it is -- and it'll get worse in a few weeks when the time changes and it gets darker even earlier. Plus, photography works better in the daytime. And, I'd rather sleep at night.

These days, I tend to avoid night driving at all costs.

I like both, but I would have to admit I like night maybe 15% better. It's true that during the day, you get the scenery (which like), but with night driving, I get a feeling of solitude (which I like, on the whole, just a bit more.)

I'm not really a morning person, so I usually start out on road trips at about noon or so, and I'll be comfortable driving until about 2 am. In the winter, that gives me more night driving, in the summer more day driving, and on the whole it works out to something I'm happy with.

As far as deer strikes go, I was under the impression that deer were most active at dawn and dusk, and so I'm not too worried late at night. I admit, though, that things in general are harder to see at night . . . but that's part of what gives me the illusion of solitude.

Favorite night-driving memory:
Heading across I-40 west late at night in New Mexico, with nothing around for miles, including people in the oncoming lanes, and then BAM: I come across an Indian casino with blindingly bright signs, which then fade back into darkness.

Favorite day-driving memory:
Taking I-90 west across New York. For whatever reason, traffic was light that day (although nothing like the rural West), and I felt I could go on and on for forever. It was pure driving bliss. Until I got to Buffalo and it ended.

Unless I'm familiar with the road most of my driving is during the day for the simple reason of being able to see what I'm driving around better. Most of my long distance trips involve me leaving Indianapolis during the night and traveling across Indiana and/or surrounding states in darkness on the logic that I've already seen that terrain. I try to sync up the time of sunrise for the location where I intend to "begin" my drive. For instance when I went up to Canada last year I drove in darkness from Indy to Detroit, at which point I crossed the Ambassador Bridge at sunrise and saw the rest of Ontario in sunlight. I repeated the same a few weeks ago, darkness until I reached the Illinois state line for my trip to Chicago.

day riding

Deer are smart. As soon as the first shot is fired for deer hunting season, they immediately go into nocturnal mode & move almost exclusively at night. When I am on the train, we see them plenty during the day right now. Come mid October, they are gone.

Overall day driving, but night driving through urban/suburban areas holds an interesting charm.  I like the street and store lights.

Night driving for highways (just look for the headlights).

Daytime for local and city streets (hard to see pedestrians, kids, pets, etc).

I like both too.  I'd probably say that I favour daytime driving over night if I had to choose, I don't like encountering new territory at night, as I hate feeling like I am missing out on the scenery.

That said, I do very much enjoy an evening freeway cruise in a large metropolitain area.  Personally, that's actually probably my favourite driving experience.

Some days on the way home from work I just want to pass my exit and keep driving.

Quote from: cjk374 on September 17, 2017, 10:42:30 AM
Deer are a constant issue 24/7/366 here. Back in March a deer HIT ME in the driver's side of my Challenger...in broad daylight. An 18-wheeler finished it off immediately after the hit.

That's what's weird...they're as much a presence in my area as anywhere else–and of course, I drive around a lot of different areas besides. Maybe it's just another one of those things that plague everyone else but which I (now famously) seem to avoid.

I enjoy both but city driving at night is a blast for me. I don't like driving country back roads at night though

Night driving is the best!

If I am trying to get somewhere particular, using interstates or similar, then nights present the ability to drive with far less congestion, ability to drive quickly through cities on the main 2di without the need to bypass and far less random tax cops.  However, lesser roads present issues at night such as yet more wildlife, lack of road services that are open, visibility, and so on. 

But if I am traveling somewhere new, then I want to go during the day and see what I am going to see.

The other issue, unless you are team driving is something similar to jet lag.  If you stay up all night driving, then your arrive tired, or on a multi-day trip, face a motel system that is set up for day driving.

If I know the roads, I prefer night driving. It's peaceful and typically less crowded. I enjoy flowing with taillights on freeways or following the moon on side roads. For anything I haven't driven before, photographs demand daylight.

Night driving in cities.

I like both. If it's a particularly scenic road, or I've never driven it before, definitely prefer day. But driving at night, especially in rural areas, can be very relaxing (just don't get too relaxed!). For labor day weekend, I drove back from Central Oregon to Idaho on US-20, mostly at night. It is not a crowded road during the day, but it is almost empty at night. I've also driven OR-78 at night before, that one is literally completely empty. I like doing that, almost never have to worry about passing or dealing with other cars. Also I've driven that road countless times during the day, nothing more interesting for me to see during the day. But at night you have potential issue of wildlife (doesn't seem like too much of a problem in that part of Oregon, but maybe it could be), ice (I try to only drive during the day in the winter, except around the city), and overall visibility. I like a good mix of day and night when it comes down to it.

I've done a lot of both, but I've come to not like night driving because of deer and other animals. I typically just drive when the sun comes up until an hour or so after the sun goes down. I sleep in my car on road trips so once I find a good spot I typically just stay there until the sun starts to come out.

Day driving for roadgeek purposes. I'll drive local roads at night when necessary.
Ironically, both my younger brothers prefer night driving for it being peaceful.

Day driving, I see more.

I hate night driving if there is oncoming traffic. I hate having headlights shine in my eyes. Its so much worse now with the new headlights, and because everybody drives huge SUV's/ pickups.

Plus, if you need to turn, you cant see what you need to see where you are turning. I once turned left, missed the road completely, and was heading straight for the grass. I couldn't tell where the road was because some idiot put the street name sign on the wrong side of the intersection instead of the top of the stop sign where it belongs.

Also, you cant accurately judge the speed of approaching vehicles when you need to cross their path of turn into the road that they are on. You need to be able to see the surface of the road in order to do that.

Also, you can't see objects on the road in time to avoid them.

Also, the bugs are way worse.

More drunks on the road.

I see nothing good about night driving except for less traffic.

There's a few roads that I'd rather do at night -- traversing L.A. freeways, for instance (for obvious reasons) -- would rather sacrifice a few nice views for the ability to actually get around town!  Also, I-5 between L.A. and S.F; if the tule fog's not an issue, then night driving is preferable (scenery? what scenery?).  Actually, except for the segment between Redding, CA and Eugene, OR, I-5 is fine at night (being the first N-S Interstate that I clinched!).  I-10 from anywhere in CA to Phoenix is much the same -- in fact, most of my travel on that segment has been at night; the same applies to any Interstate across the CA desert (15, 40).  When I was attending or exhibiting at the Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas (always in early January), I invariably returned to the Bay Area at night via I-15, CA 58, CA 99, and CA 152 -- even in the days prior to the 58 freeway connection to I-15, it was a pleasant drive -- even as part of a convoy of vehicles.  IMO -- if you're familiar with the road -- and enjoying the scenery isn't of prime concern -- then the Mojave Desert is best traversed at night.

All that being said -- obviously, daytime driving allows one to take in the territory traversed; if possible, the first drive on any road is best limited to daytime.

Quote from: Brian556 on September 20, 2017, 03:07:09 AM
I hate night driving if there is oncoming traffic. I hate having headlights shine in my eyes. Its so much worse now with the new headlights, and because everybody drives huge SUV's/ pickups.

Plus, if you need to turn, you cant see what you need to see where you are turning. I once turned left, missed the road completely, and was heading straight for the grass. I couldn't tell where the road was because some idiot put the street name sign on the wrong side of the intersection instead of the top of the stop sign where it belongs.

Also, you cant accurately judge the speed of approaching vehicles when you need to cross their path of turn into the road that they are on. You need to be able to see the surface of the road in order to do that.

Also, you can't see objects on the road in time to avoid them.

Also, the bugs are way worse.

More drunks on the road.

I see nothing good about night driving except for less traffic.

Same here. I avoid driving at night as much as possible.

Then late at night you have the bored small town cops with nothing to do that will pull you over for anything. I had this experience in Crawfordsville, IN. They pulled me over for having a headlight out. Then they proceeded to try to accuse me of being a drug dealer. Obviously they found nothing. Then they asked why I was out so late (didn't realize it was illegal to be out late at night). After all of that I got a warning, but it was still unnecessary. I just happened to be the only one out driving at that time and the cops were bored.

Quote from: Brian556 on September 20, 2017, 03:07:09 AM
Plus, if you need to turn, you cant see what you need to see where you are turning. I once turned left, missed the road completely, and was heading straight for the grass. I couldn't tell where the road was because some idiot put the street name sign on the wrong side of the intersection instead of the top of the stop sign where it belongs.

Is this a standard in Texas? In my area, the street blades and stop signs are almost always on separate poles.

Quote from: CtrlAltDel on September 20, 2017, 10:10:22 AM

Quote from: Brian556 on September 20, 2017, 03:07:09 AM
Plus, if you need to turn, you cant see what you need to see where you are turning. I once turned left, missed the road completely, and was heading straight for the grass. I couldn't tell where the road was because some idiot put the street name sign on the wrong side of the intersection instead of the top of the stop sign where it belongs.

Is this a standard in Texas? In my area, the street blades and stop signs are almost always on separate poles.

Basically, yes. The incident I speak of was in Florida

Quote from: CtrlAltDel on September 20, 2017, 10:10:22 AM

Quote from: Brian556 on September 20, 2017, 03:07:09 AM
Plus, if you need to turn, you cant see what you need to see where you are turning. I once turned left, missed the road completely, and was heading straight for the grass. I couldn't tell where the road was because some idiot put the street name sign on the wrong side of the intersection instead of the top of the stop sign where it belongs.

Is this a standard in Texas? In my area, the street blades and stop signs are almost always on separate poles.

I didn't realize there was a 'wrong side of the intersection' for street blades.

Day driving for scenery, night driving for singing along to my favorite tunes.