Why you should NEVER drive in the dark overlanding around the world

[@carljonsson3292]

Terrific episode Dan! I drove two nights in Baja and vowed never to do it again. Perhaps helpful to add that in the warmer climate countries like Mexico, the pavement heats up during the day and a lot of livestock are attracted to the radiating heat from the pavement at night so they go lay down on it. It’s common to have animals lay in the middle of the road at night for this very reason.

[@ramoneortiz]

In Puerto Rico speed bumps are called “muertos” since they are just lying there in the middle of the road. Lol

[@TheRoadChoseMe]

OMG, that's awesome. I'm going to use that in the future! (Also fits because they'll kill your car!)

[@aasphaltmueller5178]

@@TheRoadChoseMe In Mali they call them "gendarme couche" - sleeping Cop

[@anneli1735]

@@TheRoadChoseMe aka „sleeping policeman“

[@pedrodiaz4764]

In Venezuela the road bumps are called "policía acostado", which translates to "laid policeman" When the bumps are really big, people will say, that's not a policeman, that's a Secretary(Ministro)

[@TheJohndeere212]

When I was 12 years old my family decided to go deep in Mexico. One night my dad decided to drive at night and we ran over a dead bull jump over like Dukes of Hazzard and after that he quit driving at night there. If I am not mistaken he was going 50 miles per hour. Luckily the car survived and we drove back home to Texas.

[@Mauricio_EPM]

I will add the one reason. In the night dark is 10 times more possibilities to fall asleep.

[@Mauricio_EPM]

I drove a lot in the night in my way from Spain to Mongolia. Many times scary and some situations very much like you say. But I really enjoyed drive in the dark. No more dark driving from today . 🤞

[@Flugeldar]

2007 in Iceland: we drove in a Suzuki jimny towards Landmannalaugar at midnight. At some point we had to go up a steep hill in the mountains and we could see about 3 meters (no joke) because of thick fog ....So i was walking in front of the car checking the road and giving advice, and my wife was driving. I can't remember how many hours we needed to get there. In 2017 we drove the exact same road again during daylight, I could remember every inch of the road !

[@resolutejku]

Another great lesson. Every time I end up driving in the dark it always ends up being pretty stressful. Always vow not to do it again but it inevitably happens..

[@desmondbroad1305]

You are turning out to be the master of overlanding..always precise and accurate.descriptions are excellent great viewing 😎👍

[@TheRoadChoseMe]

Thank you kindly!

[@georgebryandiaz7061]

A few months ago I stumbled on your channel, and I wasnt even interested in overlanding. I have mild ADHD so I dont even like watching people standing still talking, but damn after watching the driving through africa videos and the laundry/bathroom episodes, and after about 8 amazon boxes, im really considering hitting the road in the very near future. Thanks for another thought provoking episode.

[@TheRoadChoseMe]

Great to hear George! Don't hesitate to ask if there's a topic you'd like me to cover!

[@prob1643]

Do it. I’ve hit Big Bear, Mt. Whitney/Alabama hills,4 days,3 nights, 200 miles in Death Valley. just in the last 2 months. We live in a amazing country. Reliable vehicle (high clearance at the very least,) good tires, cooking gear , sleeping gear, water containers, paper maps, (to begin.hahaha. Becomes a bit of a obsession) then hit the road ! If you’re out this way hit me up. Good luck. No one on their deathbed ever said “I wished I would have worked a little more” 🤷‍♂️

[@Mauricio_EPM]

In Russia , Novosibirsk I was driving in the night between trucks, a dog just cross the route and I didn't have time to stop. Was a black little dog. Was a horrible night.... Can't forget.

[@mugumyapaultheafricannomad9488]

Mauricio, i have a question based on your comments I have read here that reveal your experience driving in europe and asia. Could you have information about that green insurance card for foreign cars driving through EU or shengen countries? I hear that if u buy it you're covered to drive in shengen countries, but my interest is trying to understand estimate cost of that insurance and maybe its possible duration.... I tried to search for information about it on Google but i haven't yet gotten any detailed story about it as i research about my future trip there crossing into Spain from morocco then drive all the way to Russia via Italy, austria, german, poland, estonia.... Could you be having a clue on that EU or shengen insurance green card i hear about?? Thank you.... and I'm sorry for going off topic. 🤝🤝🤝

[@Mauricio_EPM]

@@mugumyapaultheafricannomad9488 this green Card is a paper that come with the insurance in Europe. At the moment that you contract the insurance you should ask also for this green card ( is just a green paper where you can read the country's where yo are covered by your insurance) . Basically the shengen countries. Sometimes in the border they will tell you that is not enough and you will need to take a Local and temporary insurance. In Turkey cost me 60€ in Russia 80€. I didn't discuss too much about price. You have shops for this around the borders. But the best is talk to your insurance company ,they should know that stuff. In Mongolia I was there a year going around and never have any problems and police stop me few times. Some people told me that I should have a Mongolian insurance ... A nice smyle make a lot. I hope this words help you a little bit. I'm not so good giving explanation like this Master of the Chanel. Very good Chanel. All the information is gold. 😉👌

[@mugumyapaultheafricannomad9488]

@@Mauricio_EPM I'm humbled by your kind information, its totally helpful...

[@adelarsen9776]

Moose and Reindeer are bad enough in the day time. This video is pretty much 100% spot on. Imagine running over a human in the dark ? Scarred for life......

[@Mauricio_EPM]

I remember a day in a trip between two villages in India , 02am very dark , foggy and driving between trucks with no lights and a route full of holes. What a hell I was doing there at this time??!!! Totally right! 🤣🤣🧅

[@Mauricio_EPM]

Another stressful night driving in Mongolia where don't have routes only using a compass to know where I go. This video make me remember many like this night drivings.

[@yepitsme431]

i LOVE to drive at night BUT it depends A LOT on where you are located !!! it can range from a really nice and unique experience to down right terrifying!! 100% true this video, dont ignore it =)

[@k53847]

You should mention this to Ronny Dahl...

[@ESUSAMEX]

Whenever we went on a road trip somewhere as a child, my dad would leave our home at night because he wanted to get to unfamiliar areas by daybreak. Once we were away from our hometown and local area, we never drove at night again due to the some of the reason you mentioned.

[@timhahne3894]

I spent some time in Honduras while in the U.S. Army in the mid '80's. Driving at night would get you shot in addition to the other normal perils.

[@GATORADDAM]

It's certainly true. I have pretty serious lights on my rig because as you said, sometimes you can't avoid driving after dark. But I sure try to avoid it.

[@thebnicho]

The only time I prefer to drive at night is long distance on a good freeway that I know well. (Eg: Hume Hwy, Melbourne to Sydney) Reason being is less traffic and most of the traffic is trucks who are not in so much of a hurry. Otherwise 100% I avoid driving after dark.

[@desertfox486]

Have driven quite a bit in the Middle East and the number of animals walking on the roads in rural areas can be astounding. Goats are everywhere, sometimes cattle and camels. Camels can be the scariest at night as they're so tall your headlights will shine on their legs but not their huge upper bodies. Depending on the color of the road surface, it can even be hard to see their legs if there's sand on the road. If you hit one at speed, that massive body is coming right up onto the hood and through the windshield...you may not make it. They also seem to enjoy walking or running in front of a car to block your path. I swear it's intentional. 🐪

[@MountainRoots]

Ya know, I really like your very first point (all the others are certainly valid), I just really like the perspective of enjoying what you're there in the first place for🤙

[@Flugeldar]

2019 when driving through Baja, Mexico and Guatemala we ended up driving into the night about 4 times, I hated it so much. Findling a place for the night is such pain without daylight.

[@buffalolizard]

All extremely good and helpful points...who enjoys sight seeing after dark. I once narrowly dodged a bison in Yellowstone Park!

[@jayulreich1462]

Hey Dan, this is such an important point youre making! I just got back from a little over 2 month trip. I kept what you said about driving in the dark in my mind the whole time. Only once the whole time did I ever get close to having to do so. I drove over 12 hours one day because I just couldnt find a campspot. This was a bit over a week ago in Colorado. Every forest service road, every paid campsite, literally everywhere was packed. It was starting to get dark. I was only supposed to have to drive 2 hours that day. I even left the state to head towards a spot on some BLM land in New Mexico, only to arrive at a locked gate! It was one of the most stressful times out of the whole trip. I finally found a picnic area on the side of the road and hoped for the best. It ended up being fine, but still, I hope that never happens again. The whole time Im apologizing to my vehicle for making her drive for so long. Anyways I cant wait to see what youll be doing in Australia! Thanks for everything!

[@yodesuyo]

potholes, bumps (called camel backs in morocco), dirty road signs barely visible, and driving at night is tiring as it needs more concentration

[@mikehzz9848]

Ronny Dahl must be real thrill seeker, he often sets up camp at midnight. 😁

[@TheRoadChoseMe]

Which you can obviously get away with in Australia. But trust me, it's not something you want to be doing in Nigeria or Honduras....

[@GATORADDAM]

Don't get me started on Ronny Dahl! He's been proven to be wrong sooooo many times, about sooooo many things, by sooooo many people!

[@mikehzz9848]

@@TheRoadChoseMe Absolutely true. It's bad enough in Australia. I set up in the dark at a fuel stop out remote and found out I was in their garden bed in the morning. 😁

[@MattGaskinsYT]

Another great video!

[@zyspan]

Great advice as always!

[@johnfitzgerald5158]

I can vouch for the Topes (bumps) in Mexico. Even in broad daylight little villages will pop up out of the blue on a blind curve and then blammo, there's a huge speedbump either made of pavement or some places like to use huge mooring ropes. Almost took out a herd of goats and pigs crossing the road right after all 4 wheel went airborne. Had to check my undies after that one.

[@LesSharp]

In many parts of SE Asia there are just so many motorcycles driving on the wrong side of the road or without lights. To make that even more exciting, there's a trend now to put a red lamp on the front of a motorcycle so you don't know it's coming toward you until you're almost on top of it. Oh yeah, decades ago I was backpacking around Thailand and hitchhiked a bit. I got in a truck one night and the driver got into an impromptu race with another truckie on an unlit highway. To make it more fun, they both turned off all their lights. I later realized you could buy meth in gas stations and that was the end of the hitchhiking for me. In Nepal I rode on overnight buses a few times and had a driver decide to 'save electricity' by turning the headlights off between hairpins. I swear I aged 10 years in one night. I think if I'd been driving I'd have gone grey in one night!

[@farmboy5129]

I got stuck driving in Belize in the dark, in a rain storm. Almost crashed after hitting a sleeping policeman (speed bump). Pedestrians and bikes without lights (yes in the rain)added to my discomfort. It might have been the worst drive of my life.

[@TheRoadChoseMe]

I know exactly how you feel Mark! Hopefully everyone out there can learn from the mistakes you and I made

[@michaelzanotto8469]

Hi Dan, great information. I finally was able to get a flight home from Brazil to Australia 3 days ago. Already planning my next adventure

[@TheRoadChoseMe]

Great to hear, glad you made it! - are you in quarantine now?

[@michaelzanotto8469]

@@TheRoadChoseMe yes, I lucked out at the Sheraton in Sydney, huge room and bathroom etc. planning to go back somewhere as I have 2 flights on credit (Qatar and also LATAM airlines. I came home on Emirates after so many flight cancellations. I booked last Thursday as a seat came available for Sunday at $5500AUD. I just want COVID-19 to be managed and Brazil’s management isn’t the best

[@michaelzanotto8469]

@@TheRoadChoseMe yes almost finished Sydney quarantine. Hopefully back to Melbourne via day train. Couldn’t do another plane and train should be good

[@yorkchris10]

I was riding at night in Mexico (Baja) and came across a cow in the middle of the road. I needed to brake hard. Then I found some people on the road and sort of found directions to a town. It was really the first time I became weary of night riding. I was riding a Nighthawk S.

[@vitadei_africa]

Have just been to Zambia and Botswana. Had to drive at night one time... huge elephant crossed the road right in front of us.... almost a huge prang! 🙈 We affirm not driving at night in Africa

[@connick0]

Nice thumbnail photo. I was there just a few weeks back!

[@joegenshlea6827]

Perhaps you could do a video on Overland travel in Mexico and Central America? US State department has adverse travel advisories for much of the Northern half of the country, many due to kidnapping. Would you go given these advisories? If so, what factors or information do you look for when you're choosing highways, campgrounds, towns to visit, etc? Also what the situation with fuel quality, parts, potable water, etc?

[@blurglide]

Hah- I asked about your sway bar end link in a prior episode. You've not fixed it yet!? Major safety feature.

[@TheRoadChoseMe]

Something has been wrong ever since, when I install new end links they just break again in a few thousand miles.... I have no idea why, so it's just disconnected.

[@blurglide]

@@TheRoadChoseMe Hmmm...I'm not sure how the Rubicon central disconnect system works, but my guess is either that's broken, or one of the mounting brackets is damaged and causing the drivers half of the sway bar to bind.

[@XLFER00z]

Topes are real in mexico some are almost 12 inch high, and yes not only on the dark in mexico bad guys are any time, the best its to drive in the day if they have stuff to blow tires on the road you need to be able to see them to be safe mate!!! aboid little highways by night and yes most people leave their stock rumble arround so you can find them on the llittle towns highways

[@rogerwileman9965]

Don't forget to make a brew

[@thedanistan5889]

Tru dat, Dan! A few years ago, I rented a car in Egypt for a week and drove around. It was a great trip, but the one thing I would not repeat is to drive at night. Unmarked speed bumps, cars with no headlights, broken down vehicles, potholes, fog and donkeys... It was a real mess and not fun at all! Interestingly, people would flash their lights at me because I had my headlights ON. Does anyone know what's up with that?!? All I can figure is that Egyptian "bro science" says that your car burns more gas if you use your headlights or that it drains your battery. Any other ideas...?

[@mugumyapaultheafricannomad9488]

Hahaha hahahahahah 🤣. Bro, I'm from East Africa here in uganda. I wish u get more time to drive more african countries and East Africa is best deal.... You'll see all that and more... We're special category of people, our vehicles are considered roadworthy so long as it can move... Things like lights, or break lights, or reflectors or good tires or wheel balancing or doors opening or potholes or anything... Nothing matters here... Everyone lives by own rules... Lol. I have been in a bus at night where the driver was driving using a hand held torch 🔦.... And we covered 2hrs driving that way... Lol. The only thing we treat well is a horn. Everyone has a good horn to honk you loud without apologies... Hahaha. Please, plan to explore more africa i can give you tips, i have done 16 countries in africa here so far.

[@thedanistan5889]

@@mugumyapaultheafricannomad9488 Yes, I will be coming your way in a few years. 🙂

[@AndrewBrowner]

im not doing 3rd world countries but if i have to make a journey thats 18-30 hours and im going to do it all in one go with a quick nap in the middle i tend to sleep in and leave in the evening that way im fresh in the night and by the time im getting tired its day time which helps get a few extra hours of driving in and is safer/easier to find a place to pull over to rest, where if you leave first thing in the morning you might be driving all day and into the night to make it to the destination in one shot youre most tired when its dark out not ideal

[@blueelectricfusion]

before you go.. mouseproof sandy

[@ML-ws6ce]

Driving in the dark stresses at home and it isn´t better in foreign countries

[@veganpotterthevegan]

Where roads are good, I prefer driving at night. I'm good doing it anywhere in the US, Canada and Europe. SE Asia? Nope

[@رحلاتيابوحاتمالسعيدي]

Is it possible to translate into Arabic so that we can have fun with you?

[@Mr.Engineer.]

You broke your vehicle because you didn't drive a Toyota 😇 Let the comments war commence! 😁

[@joshbrochill78]

First

[@yorkchris10]

I was riding at night in Mexico (Baja) and came across a cow in the middle of the road. I needed to brake hard. Then I found some people on the road and sort of found directions to a town. It was really the first time I became weary of night riding. I was riding a Nighthawk S.

[@blueelectricfusion]

before you go.. mouseproof sandy