Driving at Night
Traffic death rates are three times greater at night than during the day, according
to the National Safety Council. Yet many of us are unaware of night driving's special
hazards or don't know effective ways to deal with them.
Driving at night is more of a challenge than many people think. It's also more dangerous.
Why is night driving so dangerous? One obvious answer is darkness. Ninety percent
of a driver's reaction depends on vision, and vision is severely limited at night.
Depth perception, color recognition, and peripheral vision are compromised after
sundown.
Older drivers have even greater difficulties seeing at night. A 50-year-old driver
may need twice as much light to see as well as a 30-year old.
Another factor adding danger to night driving is fatigue. Drowsiness makes driving
more difficult by dulling concentration and slowing reaction time.
Alcohol is a leading factor in fatal traffic crashes, playing a part in about half
of all motor vehicle-related deaths. That makes weekend nights more dangerous. More
fatal crashes take place on weekend nights than at any other time in the week.
Fortunately, you can take several effective measures to minimize these after-dark
dangers by preparing your car and following special guidelines while you drive.
The National Safety Council recommends the following:
- Prepare your car for night driving. Clean headlights, taillights, signal lights
and windows (inside and out) once a week, more often if necessary.
- Have your headlights properly aimed. Misaimed headlights blind other drivers and
reduce your ability to see the road.
- Don't drink and drive. Not only does alcohol severely impair your driving ability,
it also acts as a depressant. Just one drink can induce fatigue.
- Avoid smoking when you drive. Smoke's nicotine and carbon monoxide hamper night
vision.
- If there is any doubt, turn your headlights on. Lights will not help you see better
in early twilight, but they'll make it easier for other drivers to see you. Being
seen is as important as seeing.
- Reduce your speed and increase your following distances. It is more difficult to
judge other vehicle's speeds and distances at night.
- Don't overdrive your headlights. You should be able to stop inside the illuminated
area. If you're not, you are creating a blind crash area in front of your vehicle.
- When following another vehicle, keep your headlights on low beams so you don't blind
the driver ahead of you.
- If an oncoming vehicle doesn't lower beams from high to low, avoid glare by watching
the right edge of the road and using it as a steering guide.
- Make frequent stops for light snacks and exercise. If you're too tired to drive,
stop and get some rest.
- If you have car trouble, pull off the road as far as possible. Warn approaching
traffic at once by setting up reflecting triangles near your vehicle and 300 feet
behind it. Turn on flashers and the dome light. Stay off the roadway and get passengers
away from the area.
Observe night driving safety as soon as the sun goes down. Twilight is one of the
most difficult times to drive, because your eyes are constantly changing to adapt
to the growing darkness.
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