Totally concur, the Stuart Highway at night is not a nice place to be. Quite apart from wildlife & roadtrains etc (and trust me - those roos are positively suicidal) another thing you need to look out for this time of year is water across the road
As for roadside accomodation: Laramah, Renner, Mataranka, Dunmarah and Daly Waters are OK in my experience. The Elliott caravan park is a little rough, but is OK for one night if you get stuck. If you're taking a caravan, camper, Winnebago etc, there are one or two decent camping/rest areas along the road.
Enjoy the trip!