Night Driving Can Be More Dangerous
Night driving can be extremely dangerous. It sounds pretty obvious. However, it impairs your faculties more than you may think. Nighttime driving affects your peripheral vision, depth perception, as well as your ability to see and distinguish color. In fact, 40% of fatal car accidents occur at night. Here are some helpful hints for when you’re out night driving.
1. Proper maintenance of your head and taillights is key. Without a regular cleaning, your head and taillights can get hazy. Give them a good washing every couple of weeks to improve their performance and clarity.
2. Wash your windshield, front and rear to keep visibility up. Don’t forget to wash your side mirrors as well.
3. You may not know this, but you can actually adjust the angle of your headlights. They can be aimed properly if they’ve gotten off track. This will aid greatly with your visibility when driving at night.
4. Dim those dash lights. The darker the cabin of your vehicle is, the better you can see the road.
5. Go ahead and turn those headlights on at or even before sunset. This will not only increase your ability to see, but also other’s ability to see you.
6. You headlights are actually a measuring tool. Low-beam headlights can see up to 160 feet. High-beams shine up to 500 feet. However, don’t “outdrive” your headlights. Always give yourself enough time to stop when night driving.
7. Avoid the lure of the oncoming headlights. When you’re tired and driving at night, it can be easy to zone out and stare into the headlights of oncoming traffic. This is an aspect of highway hypnosis as well as driving past pavement marking after pavement marking. Stay alert by checking your mirrors frequently and observing your surroundings.
8. Along with observing your surroundings, check for animals especially deer that may be crossing your path. This is most important to watch out for at night, when animals are roaming around looking for shelter.
9. Limit your distractions by staying off your cell phone.
10. When driving at night, your number one obstacle is fatigue. Do your best to stay hydrated and if you’re driving a distance, take small breaks.