Even in perfect weather and with good headlights properly adjusted, you cannot see as far or as much at night as you can in daylight. Night driving is not as simple as driving in daylight. The night-time need is therefore a far more alertness and a realization that you cannot safely drive as fast as you would during the day.

When a vehicle is being driven uphill the engine not only has to drive it along the road, but also lift its weight as well. Going downhill, the weight of the vehicle helps the engine to drive it along. In each case, the effect of the controls is different from what it is on the level. It is useful to look at the main differences and see how they affect your driving.

When it comes to dealing with hills in the ordinary course of driving remember the following points:

When you leave a hilly road at a junction, or turn from a level road on to a hill, up or down, all the points mentioned so far become very much more important. Hills are not easy on car or driver and there are a great many driving operations to fit in when you go through a junction. Extra anticipation and considerable care are needed.

When you are going downhill towards a junction, getting into the right position at the right speed needs the early use of mirror, signals, brakes, gears and steering. Remember the junction routine position - speed - look. Oncoming drivers will be climbing and while their speeds may be easier to judge, you must be particularly careful not to balk them. If you are turning, don't move from your turn look position unless, you are sure that you can complete the turn without blocking the oncoming traffic and causing a hold-up.

Again, it is important to judge your position and speed accurately and to make correct use of mirror, signals, brakes, gears and steering. Your position will be particularly important to following drivers, especially, if you are going to make a right turn. You cannot stop in a wrong position and force them to stop unnecessarily.

It is usually quite easy to turn left at a T-junction into a road, which runs uphill from the right. You can judge the speed of cars coming up the hill reasonably easily and you don't have to cross any traffic stream. But if you are turning right and the road turns uphill from the left, you will find this much more difficult. Here you have to cross the traffic coming downhill from the right, probably quite fast and at the same time fit into the flow of vehicles going uphill from the left without balking them.

Traffic lights, school crossing patrols and pedestrian crossings will stop traffic on hills regularly. This adds to the importance of using your mirror, recognising the sort of and leaving a suitable gap from vehicle ahead of you, using your hand brake more than usual and keeping in the right gear for the situation. You will be doing most of these things in towns anyway, but on hills, they are all 'musts'.

Downhill :  This is a simpler operation, because the weight of the car helps you to move away. But you must be careful to use the right gear for the slope of the hill to keep the car under full control. Remember, that drivers coming downhill from behind you will find it less easy to slow down, so be sure that the gap is large enough before you move off.

Don't rely on your brakes as the chief means of controlling your speed when going downhill, as overworked brakes get hot and may 'fade'. Your chief means of controlling speed downhill should be the use of a lower gear; your footbrake will only serve as an addition to your engine braking power in low gear. Get into a lower gear in good time and then slow the engine by braking the car with the footbrake. Because braking is best avoided on curves, use an even lower gear on a winding hill than you would on a straight one. You must do this before you begin to go downhill.

It is far better not to leave your car standing on a slope. But if you can't avoid it, here are some points to remember.

Stop as close as you can to the nearside kerb and leave your steering wheel turned to the right. In case of brake failure, the front wheel coming against the kerb will stop it. If there is no kerb, turn the steering wheel to the left. Then, at least, the car will not run back across the road. Leave the car in first gear with the handbrake firmly applied.

Turn the steering wheel to the left, so that the kerb will check any forward movement of the car. Leave the car in reverse gear and apply the handbrake firmly.

Whether facing uphill or downhill, make sure the handbrake is on firmly before using the selector setting 'P' (park). This avoids risk of a locked transmission. If your car has no 'P' setting, turn your front wheels to the kerb and apply your handbrake firmly.

Moving in or out of a parking space is more difficult on a slope than on the flat and tends to take more room. So leave a bigger gap, it will help you and others.

Whether for power to climb a hill, or for braking to control speed downhill, it is always important to get into the right gear in good time. There are more details about parking in the next chapter.

There are no ordinary junctions, sharp bends, roundabouts, steep hills or traffic lights on highways. Traffic is less mixed than on other roads and the slowest vehicles are excluded. Traffic can therefore safely travel faster over longer distances, but this makes lane discipline even more important than on ordinary roads.

The higher speeds on highways mean that you need more time for almost every driving action. In other words, you need to give yourself bigger margins than on ordinary roads; bigger margins of roadworthiness and of space between your car and the one in front. This chapter describes why these bigger margins are so important.

We discussed in earlier chapters about stopping distance and how this was made up of thinking distance plus braking distance. When driving on highways, it is essential to know and be able to judge your stopping distance at various speeds, because stopping distances get much longer the faster you go. So let's have another look at thinking, braking and stopping distances at speeds from 50 kmph upwards, in good conditions on a dry road and when conditions are not so good.

Highways usually start at a roundabout, unless a main road becomes a highway. Elsewhere you will get on to them by a slip road which leads into an acceleration lane. This lane is an extra piece of road from which you can see, and adjust to, the highway traffic and its speed before you become part of it. You must give way to traffic already on the highway, taking your place only when there is a suitable gap in the left-hand lane. Once you have joined the highway stay in the left-hand lane until you have had time to judge and get used to the speeds at which the traffic is moving.

Don't put unnecessary difficulties in the way of being able to see properly. Start out with clean mirrors, screen and windows. Use the washers, wipers and demisters freely whenever necessary. Keep your eyes moving so that, you can see things clearly. Use your mirror even sooner than you would on an ordinary road and check it more often, because the higher highway speeds are more difficult to judge and situations develop very quickly. Any increase in the number of vehicles you can see ahead may mean that traffic is slowing down for some reason - a warning to you to reduce speed until you are sure just what is happening.

Your car is often visible to other drivers on a highway much earlier than it would be on an ordinary road. It needs to be, because of the higher speeds. If the daylight is at all poor, use your side and rear lights at least. If it is hazy or misty in daytime, use your headlights.

Driving on a highway can get monotonous and cause drowsiness. Avoid this by making full use of whatever ventilation system you have. Keep the car warm but well aired. If you still feel drowsy keep a window open until you can get to a service area. There, open all the windows. Better still, get out into the air for a while.

A gap of at least one yard for each m.p.h of your speed is an absolute minimum. If the road is wet or icy, the gap should be much longer. In the worst weather conditions, you could need up to ten times the stopping distance that you do for a dry road.

The higher noise level on highways, particularly in wet weather, may prevent other drivers from hearing your horn. Flashing your headlamps is usually a better warning when one is necessary. By the same token, be alert for such a warning yourself.

Change lanes only when there is need. Keep in the middle of the lane you are using and don't let your car wander from side to side or into another lane. When you do need to change lanes, use the mirror-signal-manoeuvre routine, remembering how quickly vehicles may come up behind you. This routine is vital for highway safety. Start it much earlier than on an ordinary road, so that your indicators are seen well before you start your move. This should tell all who can see them that a shift in the traffic pattern is coming.

The normal driving rule still applies - well to the left. But if there are so many slower moving vehicles in that lane that you would be moving in and out repeatedly, you may stay in the middle lane. The outside (right hand) lane is for overtaking; it is not 'the fast lane'. Don't stay in it any longer than is needed to move out, overtake and then move in again, all with a good safety margin.

If you are towing a caravan or any other kind of trailer, or driving a heavy goods vehicle, you must not use the right-hand lane, except in circumstances such as the temporary closing of one or more of the inner lanes.

Because of high speeds on highways, any braking must be unhurried, progressive and properly spread out. The need to spread your braking adds point to the importance of proper spacing. And mirror first - every time.

This is almost entirely a matter of proper spacing and good margins. The position speed- look routine is the first thing to think about. The correct position is well back from the vehicle you are going to overtake, so that you can move out on a smooth, easy course when you are ready. No sudden lurching to the right.

Next, speed: are you going fast enough, or can you accelerate enough, to overtake without balking anything coming up faster behind you? Then, look - ahead to make sure there is nothing to prevent you from overtaking safely (a lane closed for repairs, for example) and behind you.

Mirror checks are vital on a highway; and remember that vehicles may be coming up from behind much faster than you think. Next, signal - well before you start to move out. After a final mirror check, pull out smoothly into your overtaking lane, get past and back into the left as soon as you can, taking care not to move in too soon in front of the vehicle you have passed. Be particularly careful to see that indicator signals are cancelled after you have finished overtaking. The comparatively slight movements of the steering wheel may not be enough to work a self-cancelling device.

Normally you should never overtake on the left. But where the traffic is moving in queues in all lanes, and the traffic on the right is going more slowly than you are, you may maintain the speed of the traffic in your own lane and so pass on the left.

In deciding when to carry out a manoeuvre, and how much margin to leave, remember that traffic conditions can vary on highways as much as on any other road. Some stretches attract considerable rush hour traffic where they run near towns. Other stretches may have no particular rush hours. Differences of this sort are likely to have much more effect on two-lane highways.

If you are not going to the end of the highway, you leave it by moving left from the inner lane into a deceleration lane (extra strip), if any, which  takes you on to the exit road.

Don't rush this in anyway. Use your mirror and signal in good time. There are plenty of signs to help you with your timing so that you can give yourself the necessary margins. Use these signs to spread your use of mirror and indicators, your change of lane and speed - and if necessary, your braking too. This will leave a margin all round for yourself and the other drivers affected by your action.

Unless you are already in the left-hand lane, the first step is to get into that lane. On a three-lane highway, this may mean more than one lane change. If so, you must follow the mirror-signal-manoeuvre routine for each one. Don't move to the left more than one lane at a time, and don't cut straight across from an outside lane into the deceleration lane. Move into the deceleration lane so that you can slow down before you join the exit road.

After some miles of driving on a highway, your judgement of your own speed will almost certainly be affected. Nearly everyone underestimates - 60 or 70 k.m.p.h may seem more like 40. Use your speedometer, especially when you get on the exit road from the highway and until you have had time to readjust to the slower speeds on ordinary roads. This readjustment takes several minutes.

The biggest single danger to any driver is being unable to see properly. The weather can poor up your vision by misting up the inside glass of your car, including the mirror. Misting has many causes, from winter fog to a sudden shower on a summer day. It is sensible to keep a piece of clean dry cloth handy so that you can dry the inside of the windscreen, if necessary. When there is fog on a highway, the only safe rule is that you must be able to stop well within the distance you can see to be clear.

Rain, too, can cause loss of vision by obscuring the outside of the screen and windows. The cleaner you keep the glass of your car, the sooner the wipers will be able to clear the outside of the screen, and the less you will be hampered by wet and dirty side and rear windows.

Cross-winds are another highway hazard. They may affect your steering much more than on ordinary roads. If the wind is coming from your left, be especially careful as a sudden gust could make your car swerve to the right.  Wind effects are also increased as you come out of the shelter of bridges or high embankments.

Braking is particularly difficult on wet or foggy roads, because the tyre, however good tread it has, cannot grip well on a wet, smooth road surface. In such cases, you end up making a skid. Give yourself much more room for slowing down and stopping. Your allowance for braking distances on wet roads should be at least doubled.

There are signs on highways to warn you of such dangers ahead as accidents prone areas, risk of slippery roads, culverts, villages approaching, etc. The warning is a sign posted on 8-10 feet high pole, not less than 50 yards ahead. Important places on the highways are mostly provided with flashing amber / red lights, which warn about the expected traffic movement from sideways. The highway signs have white letters on a blue panel, usually with a white border.

The advance direction signs guide you through the way and milestones on the highways give information about the distance you are from your destination (or for that matter a landmark). All advance direction signs on highways are very much larger than those on ordinary roads to that you can read them from a greater distance.

If you do not have to stop, be ready, when you see the danger itself, to slow down still more; to a crawl if necessary. If you can see that you need to slow down or stop, start to do so much sooner than usual and treat all controls gently, especially the brakes.

Remember that fog can drift rapidly and is often patchy. Even if it seems to be clearing there can be a sudden thick patch ahead. Keep below 40 k.m.p.h. or other advised speeds until you are satisfied that it is safe to go faster again.

Apart from the flashing amber / red lights just mentioned, you may also be signalled to stop by the police or by an emergency traffic sign. Otherwise, you are allowed to stop on the carriageway only if by doing so you will prevent or avoid an accident. If you do have to stop on the carriageway, and if your vehicle is equipped so that you can switch on all the direction indicators to flash together, do so as a warning signal.

Even in perfect weather and with good headlights properly adjusted, at nights, you cannot see as far as you can in daylight. So you cannot possibly know about what is ahead of you and around you. The night-time need is for even more alertness and a realisation that you cannot safely drive as fast as you would do in a daytime.

So far as driving is concerned, the word 'night' includes the periods of dusk and dawn - not just the hours between night and day. Towards dusk, it may well be wise to put your lights on before lighting-up time, even if it is not legally necessary. It is not a bad thing to be the fist to switch on (even if other drivers take it to think you have put your lights on by mistake). In the mornings the opposite applies. Don't switch off until you are sure that you will be safe without lights. If your car is coloured dark, switch on earlier and switch off later.

The need to have your eyesight checked regularly was mentioned in earlier chapters. Night driving, in particular, may show a need for a check. If you have doubts, this is the time to get a check.

Even if your sight is perfect your eyes will take some time to adapt to darkness. Don't come out of a brightly lit building and drive off straightaway. Give your eyes time to begin to adjust.  Wait at least a minute or two before you start driving. You can fill in the time usefully by wiping your lights, windscreen, mirror and so on, and your spectacles if you wear them. The windscreen is particularly important - a clean screen cuts down dazzle.

At night, vehicle lights replace most of the many daylight sources of information about what is ahead. They also tell other road users about your movements. Your safety therefore depends on them, so use and keep them sensibly in proper order. Get the most out of them by simple precautions. Check them before any long journey.

The adjustment and setting of headlights is important and those too should be checked periodically. Whenever a light fault occurs get it put right straightaway - a new bulb or whatever it is. If you don't, you will be a danger to yourself and others.

Speed limits apart, the general rule about never driving so fast that you cannot stop well within the distance you can see to be clear means, at night, 'within your lights'. If you cannot stop well within the range of your own lights you are going too fast. Try it out in a suitable place. Look for an object which is just within the range of your lights and then see if you can stop by the time you get to it. This test may give you something of a shock if you try it with dipped headlights on an unlighted road. It will certainly show how much easier it is to pick out white or light coloured objects than darker ones. It will also show the value of a good look ahead before you dip your headlights for a driver coming
towards you.

The lights of another vehicle usually tell you its direction of travel. They may tell you very little about its speed. Lights coming towards you should raise a number of questions in your mind. These will vary with the sort of road you are on - but here are some of the chief ones:

The need for lower speeds at night, and the fact that you can see less than in daylight, make overtaking more difficult. Less chance to overtake makes it all the more important to follow other vehicles correctly. When you come up behind another vehicle, dip your lights in good time so that the beam does not dazzle the man ahead, either through his rear window or by reflection from his mirror. If you are being overtaken, dip your headlights as soon as the other vehicle passes you.

If you drive too close, even dipped beams will dazzle the driver ahead. So the drill is: first dip, then make sure that you are far enough back for your dipped beams to fall clear of his rear window, if not of his car. In any case, you should be keeping a proper separation distance for your speed. Where it is possible to overtake but there is oncoming traffic don't use full beam in the face of oncoming drivers.