It's easy to forget how quickly it gets dark in Norway. When autumn arrives and daylight disappears before dinner is served, driving conditions are completely different. As a new driver, it's important that you learn how to deal with this safely, which is why driving in the dark is a mandatory part of driver training.
Here we explain what dark driving is all about, when it's carried out and what you should know before you get in your car on a dark winter's night.
What is night driving?
Dark driving, or «driving in the dark» as it is formally called, is a fixed part of the basic traffic course. It is not a driving lesson, but a demonstration. As a student, you are a passenger in the car and observe how a traffic instructor handles dark driving conditions.
You'll learn about everything from the correct use of light and distance judgement to how darkness affects vision and responsiveness. The aim is to increase your understanding of risk and make you more aware as a driver. After all, it's one thing to read about driving in the dark, but quite another to actually experience it.
When do you need to drive at night?
Night driving must be carried out when it is dark enough outside. This means that this part of the course is only offered during the winter months, preferably from October to March.
If you take a basic driving course between 16 March and 31 October, you will receive a temporary certificate. This allows you to practice driving until 1 November. In order to be able to continue practising driving after this, the night driving must be completed.
At Oslo Team Trafikkskole, we help you get all this in place. We keep an eye on the season, set up darkness demos as soon as it's dark enough, and make sure you get through on time.
What happens during night driving?
Many people think they're going to go out and drive themselves, but driving at night is all about observing and learning.
You sit in the car with a traffic instructor who demonstrates how darkness affects driving. You'll see how to use high-beam and low-beam headlights correctly, how to meet other cars, and how speed must be adapted to visibility.
There is also a focus on risk situations - such as pedestrians without reflectors or poorly lit junctions. Everything is explained along the way, so you understand why things are done in a certain way. Many people say that the darkness demonstration provides an a-ha experience. That's exactly the point.
How long does it take?
Driving in the dark lasts three hours and is completed in one evening. It is one of several parts of the basic traffic course, which consists of a total of 17 hours spread over a minimum of five course evenings.
You cannot obtain a valid course certificate without having completed the night driving course, and without a course certificate you cannot practice driving during the winter months. It's therefore a good idea to plan your night-time driving early if you're taking a course outside the winter.
How to drive safer in the dark?
Here are some simple but important tips that we also go through in our teaching:
- Check that all lights on the car are working, both front and rear
- Keep windscreen and mirrors free from mist and dirt
- Adapt your speed to visibility, not to the speed limit
- Use high beam as long as you don't dazzle anyone
- Reduce speed at pedestrian crossings and in built-up areas
- Avoid driving when you are tired, darkness increases the feeling of tiredness
Why choose Oslo Team Traffic School?
We recognise that education is not about squeezing in as many students as possible. Here, it's all about safety, understanding and mastery. That's why we take our time with each individual student.
We are located in the centre of Frogner in Oslo, and since 2008 we have focused on structured and personal traffic training. All our teachers are educated at the Norwegian National School of Driving Instructors, and we offer both female and male teachers, as well as English-speaking teachers if you need them.
The cars we use are modern and easy to drive. Our driving school is known for its high pass rate, and over time we have earned a solid 4.8-star rating on Google. In other words, you're in safe hands from the first course evening to the last driving test.
Do you want to drive in the dark in Oslo?
Driving in the dark is organised throughout the winter months. If you are unsure of when it is suitable to take the course, or if you need help setting up a course, just contact us!
Give us a call, send us an email or drop by the office at Odins gate 11. We're here to help you, both in daylight and in the dark.