We used to leave Cape Town after work and arrive somewhere in the Karoo near midnight. We do not do that any more.
The first reason is animals. Kudu stand on the road at night, and they are as tall as the car. We have braked hard for them more than once.
The second reason is the road itself. Potholes that are easy to see at noon disappear in the headlights, and help can be a long way off.
What changed
We now leave on Saturday morning and stop driving an hour before sunset. It costs us a night at the start of the trip. In return we arrive rested, see the road we are driving, and are sitting outside when the stars come out instead of squinting at them through the windscreen.