Nighttime driving can increase your risk of being in an accident. It can be difficult to see at night. The darkness can make it harder to see the road and anything that could pop up along the way. The National Safety Council says, “Traffic death rates are three times greater at night than during the day.” Follow these steps to help you drive safely at night.
How-to Drive Safely at Night: Precautions to Take
Headlights and Taillights
It is really important that you make sure all of the lights on your car are working before you drive at night. If you have a light that is not properly working, it could be really dangerous. Check your headlights and taillights, and get them replaced or fixed if they are not working. Another light to check is your turn signal lights. Lights help other vehicles to see your car. They can also help alert other cars of what you are planning on doing so that they can properly react. For example, brake lights will warn other cars that you are slowing down, and give the car behind you a warning that they may need to slow down too.
People and Animals
Be on the lookout for pedestrians and animals crossing the road at night. This will help you drive safely at night. A deer can bolt out onto the road out of the blue. Hitting a deer can really damage your car and hurt or kill the deer. It is also dangerous to swerve out of the way for a deer or animal too. You could swerve into another car or even off of the road.
Also, walkers, runners and cyclists do not always wear reflective gear. Therefore, they can be really difficult to see once it gets dark outside. Make sure to be on the lookout for these so that you do not risk hitting one. Especially on poorly-lit roads, pay extra attention to watch for pedestrians and animals. Also, check to make sure that someone has not stepped out off the curb when you are driving through an intersection.
Fatigue
Another danger of driving at night can be driver fatigue. At night, drivers are more likely to be tired. Driving drowsy can cause a driver to have decreased reaction times and not be as alert as they should be.
There is also the risk that an overly-tired driver could end up falling asleep at the wheel. This could cause a huge accident and be really dangerous. If you want to drive safely at night, do not drive when you are tired. If you start to feel tired, pull over somewhere safe to rest for a while. Just go ahead and get a hotel to avoid being tired while driving if you are on a long road trip.
When driving at night, make sure to be careful so that you arrive at your destination safely. Check your vehicle’s lights, be aware of animals or pedestrians crossing the road, and make sure not to drive when you are tired.