No matter what season, nighttime driving may prove challenging to nearly any driver. With winter, darkness lasts longer and may make it difficult for drivers to see things on the road and react to potentially dangerous situations.
Among the issues that confront drivers at night is your depth perception. It becomes difficult to judge the distance between objects. Peripheral vision becomes challenging, too. Much of this can be attributed to the glare of oncoming headlights that temporarily affect a driver’s vision.
Clean headlights and defensive driving
With compromised night vision and many other challenges related to nighttime driving, what shall a driver do? Here are some potentially life-saving tips when driving at night:
– Keep the headlights clean: You will see much better. Lights covered with dirt film make it appear as if they are not working.
– Adjust the headlights and lighting inside your vehicle: Make sure the headlights are positioned at correct angles and dim the dashboard lights.
– Avoid looking directly at lights from oncoming vehicles: This can lead to temporary blindness and could lead to a crash.
– Have a clean windshield: Streaks on the glass promise to affect your vision.
– Slow down: Drive at slower speeds to compensate for reduced stopping time and limited visibility. Impatience is not a good thing to have.
– Make defensive driving a priority: Extra caution is necessary during rush hour, which in winter usually takes place in the dark. Remain alert to reckless drivers and avoid distractions.
– Be extra alert to impaired drivers: Many drunk driving arrests and crashes occur during the evening or night after some people become inebriated after a night on the town.
– Avoid fatigue: Do not drive when you are tired. Drive at the times you are typically awake. Stop and rest every two hours. When tired, pull over and nap. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, drowsy driving contributed to roughly 2.4% of all fatal crashes in the U.S. from 2011 to 2015.
Such tips are crucial and may help you avoid getting into a road collision.
Understand the challenges
As long as you abide by safe driving habits and take extra precautions when driving at night, you likely will assure you and your passengers a safe journey. Understand the additional challenges and hazards that come with nighttime driving.