Hit the brakes: over 10 million UK motorists avoid driving at night
Top worries include headlight glare, stress, and spotting cyclists and pedestrians
With the clocks turning back on 26th October and shorter days approaching, new research from Go.Compare car insurance has revealed why our roads could be so quiet at night. With a quarter of motorists (25%) saying they intentionally avoid night time driving where possible*, this could mean more than 10 million UK motorists aren’t comfortable driving in the dark** - and there are a number of reasons people are staying off the roads.
The survey of 1,444 UK drivers found that headlight glare is an issue affecting many, with 24% of drivers saying they find it harder to drive at night due to how bright other cars’ headlights are.
There are also a number of other factors affecting motorists at night - with 18% saying they worry about not seeing cyclists and pedestrians when it’s dark outside, a further 20% saying they find driving at night stressful in general, and 8% saying they are scared to drive at night.
These worries are keeping many motorists off the roads - with 4% saying they never drive at night, and 25% saying they avoid it where possible. Meanwhile, 18% of drivers say they actually enjoy driving at night due to how quiet the roads are - and a further 15% say they don’t feel any differently driving at night to driving in the day.
The research also revealed a gender split: while just one in five men (21%) say they avoid driving at night, this rises to nearly a third of women (30%). Additionally, while only 17% of men say headlight brightness makes it harder for them to drive at night, nearly double the number of women say this affects them (32%). Tom Banks, Go.Compare car insurance spokesperson, said: “When it’s dark outside, this presents extra challenges for motorists - poor visibility, headlight glare and difficulty judging distances can all add an increased risk of accidents, so it’s no surprise that so many people are worried about driving at night.
“Our research found that 36% of drivers make a conscious effort to drive more slowly and carefully when it’s dark or there’s poor lighting, and we would urge more motorists to follow this example. To stay safe on the roads at night, make sure you:
- Take time for your vision to adjust to the darkness before starting your journey
- Make sure all windows and mirrors are clean, as streaks and smudges can refract light and make it harder to see
- Check to see your headlights, full-beams, fog lights, brake lights and indicators are all working before you set off
- Maintain extra distance between cars in front, as distances can be hard to judge
- Avoid using full beam headlights when there are other cars on the road, so you don’t dazzle other motorists
- Reduce your speed to give you longer to spot hazards on the road
- Make sure you’re well rested - and avoid driving if you are tired.”
For more tips and advice for driving at night, visit: https://www.gocompare.com/motoring/guides/driving-at-night/.
Contact Information
Rosie Johns
Notes to editors
*The research was conducted by Censuswide, among a sample of 2,000 UK Nationally Representative Consumers. 1444 respondents said they drive a vehicle (referred to as ‘motorists’). The data was collected between 22.09.2025 - 24.09.2025. Censuswide abides by and employs members of the Market Research Society and follows the MRS code of conduct and ESOMAR principles. Censuswide is also a member of the British Polling Council. **According to the Government’s driving licence data, as of 02 August 2025 there are 42,719,184 full driving licences issued in the UK. With the above survey revealing 25% of motorists are avoiding driving at night, this equates to 10,679,796 of those holding a full licence in the UK avoiding driving at night.
For further information please contact: Lynsey Walden – lynsey.walden@gocompare.com Kath Chadwick – kathryn.chadwick@gocompare.com
Keep up to date with Go.Compare on Twitter: @GoCompare or you can call 02920 020360
About Go.Compare
Go.Compare is a comparison website that enables people to compare the costs and features of a wide variety of insurance policies, financial products and energy tariffs.
It does not charge people to use its services and does not accept advertising or sponsored listings, so all product comparisons are unbiased. Go.Compare makes its money through fees paid by the providers of products that appear on its various comparison services when a customer buys through the site.
When it launched in 2006, it was the first comparison site to focus on displaying policy details rather than just listing prices, with the aim of helping people to make better-informed decisions when buying their insurance. It is this approach to comparing products that secured the company an invitation to join the British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA) in 2008, and it is still the only comparison site to be a member of this organisation.
Go.Compare has remained dedicated to helping people choose the most appropriate products rather than just the cheapest and works with Defaqto, the independent financial researcher, to integrate additional policy information into a number of its insurance comparison services. This allows people to compare up to an extra 30 features of cover.
Go.Compare is part of Future Plc and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). More information can be found here www.gocompare.com or here https://www.futureplc.com/brands/.