Night Driving Safety – for nocturnal drivers!!

Nocturnal driving is highly accident prone. Driving gets vulnerable during nights and impairs driving safety to a higher degree. In spite of fewer vehicular movements on roads and highways, most deadly mishaps occur during nights. According to National Safety Council, Traffic death rates are three times greater at night.

Here are the reasons for such hampered road safety.

 90% of the driver’s instinct depends on the degree of visibility. Because of the limited lighting in the nights, the vision is impaired to greater extent. Drivers tend to loose the advantage of color and contrast that is available during the day. Levels of perception and peripheral vision also weaken.
 Our ability to see the road ahead is impaired at night. Darkness can alter the driver's ability to cope with even the most normal driving conditions.
 Alcohol and drugs added with frolics and joy riding is another major setback
 Seniors are at major risk for problems with nighttime driving as aging affects ability to focus and reduces depth perception and reaction times. Did you know that a 50-year-old driver may need twice as much light to see as well as a 30-year old
 Fatigue is another serious hazard for night driving. Drowsiness makes driving more difficult by pulling down the concentration and slowing reaction time
 Climatic changes like a varying temperature, colder air, moisture on surface and surface breezes also affect the night driving.

Here are few driving tips to enhance your night vision and driving ability during night times.
• Prepare your car for night driving
• Clean your windshield and lights regularly.
• Watch for pedestrians and cyclists - they are harder to see at night
• Increase your following distance at night.
• Keep your speed lower on dark roads to avoid overdriving your headlights.
• Reduce your speed. Do follow the DMV prescribed and posted speed limits meant for night drives.
• Try to stick to roads with sufficient lighting.
• If oncoming vehicles fail to lower their headlight beams avoid glare from light by focusing on the right edge of the road as a steering guide.
• If cars behind you are following too closely or if glare from their headlights is bothering you, pull over and allow them to pass you.
• Defensive driving is highly recommended to deal the aggressive drivers who go hay wire at nights.
• Make sure headlights are properly aimed. You may blind oncoming drivers and reduce your ability to see the road properly.
• Misaimed headlights blind other drivers and reduce your ability to see the road.
• Never wear dark glasses and if are conditioned to wear, then do opt for anti-glare coating on your spectacles.
• Get your eyes tested yearly to evaluate for conditions such as cataracts that can affect night time driving.
• Move your eyes constantly by looking for flashes of light at hilltops, curves and intersections that may indicate the headlights of other vehicles
• Stop and rest if you are sleepy
• Try to avoid fatigue by taking regular refreshment breaks to give your eyes a chance to recover. Take a short nap or a brisk walk, or have some caffeine to help you stay alert
• If you have an older car that does not have daytime running lights, be sure to put on your headlights as soon as twilight occurs. This makes it easier for other drivers to see your car.
• When it becomes too difficult to drive safely at night, try to limit driving to morning times.
• Most of the 18 wheeled giants, the trucks; operate on highways post sunset. Hence forth the truck drivers are suggested to take up truck driving classes to ensure night driving safety.

Be watchful of the twilight as it the most difficult time to drive. Do follow the above quoted driving tips which should make night time driving safer for you. For the latest updates on night driving safety & driving laws, do visit driving safety news.

By; Crystal