Recording night practice without confusing bonus hours

Night driving involves changing visibility, glare and a different view of familiar streets.

Night driving involves changing visibility, glare and a different view of familiar streets. Record the actual experience accurately. Planning night practice separately helps you avoid confusing instructor bonus credit with time genuinely spent driving after sunset.

Understand the situation

For NSW learners under 25, the official logbook requirement normally includes 20 night hours within 120 supervised hours, unless an exemption applies. Instructor bonus hours do not become extra night hours. Check the current logbook guidance and record the session according to its instructions.

Before you practise

• Plan the session around sunset and sunrise
• Record actual start and finish details accurately
• Keep bonus credit separate from actual night experience

A focused practice session

Begin with a familiar, well-lit route and add only one new challenge. While parked afterwards, discuss what was harder to see and whether your speed gave you enough time to respond. Use the observation notes to plan another supervised night session.

A situation to discuss

Consider an eligible under-25 learner who completes a structured one-hour instructor lesson after sunset. The actual night experience is one hour; any eligible bonus credit does not turn that into three night hours. Check the official instructions for recording the daytime bonus component. This distinction helps you plan genuine night practice without finding a shortfall when the overall logbook total looks complete.