Driving in Adverse Conditions and at Night
This domain tests adaptation: how you change speed, lighting and spacing when grip, visibility or the road surface changes. Nigerian conditions add harmattan dust, heavy rainy-season downpours, flooding and potholes to the usual night-driving hazards.
Rain and flooding
Switch on headlights, slow down, and increase the following gap. Do not drive into floodwater whose depth you cannot judge, and never rush through standing water - it can hide potholes, stall the engine or float the vehicle. If the steering suddenly feels light and the engine revs, you may be aquaplaning: ease off the accelerator, keep the wheel straight and do not brake hard.
Harmattan and fog
Use dipped headlights and fog lamps where fitted. Do not use main beam - it reflects off the dust and reduces visibility further. Reduce speed so you can stop within the distance you can see, and use the road edges as a guide rather than following the tail lights of the vehicle ahead too closely.
Night driving
Do not overdrive your headlights: your speed must let you stop within the lit distance. Dip your beams for oncoming traffic and when following. Watch for unlit pedestrians, bicycles, animals and parked lorries. Keep windscreen and mirrors clean, and avoid looking directly at oncoming lights.
Worked example
A driver enters a flooded stretch at night, feels the car slow and the engine begin to hesitate. Reasoning: water is entering the engine bay. He should keep a steady low gear and steady revs to avoid stalling, avoid stopping in the water, and once through, dry the brakes by gentle application.
Traps
Using hazard lights while moving in rain. Using main beam in fog. Braking hard while aquaplaning. Driving at normal speed because the road 'looks clear'.