Even although most people only do a quarter of their driving at night, 50% of traffic deaths occur at night.
Knowing that you must drive late at night can be anxiety-inducing, but there are things you can do to make it easier and safer. Keep reading below to learn some tips for driving at night.
- Fight Fatigue
When you are sleepy, you are less likely to drive safely. The more tired you are, the less warn you will be. Something easy you will notice during the day that you might miss at night, particularly if you have not rested.
To avoid them, do everything you can to stay alert and alert. Drink caffeine, pull over to rest, or stop driving at night.
You can even try listening to music, opening a window, or talking to yourself or someone else. However, do not push it too far, and stop when you feel the need to rest your eyes and mind.
- Be Extra Defensive
Driving late at night requires you to be extra defensive and alert. You’re more likely to be dealing with drunk drivers, in addition to other drivers who may be tired.
This means more carelessness on the road, which makes it more likely for accidents to occur. Driving late at night can be stressful, but if you know you are on high alert, you can have peace of mind knowing that you will be more likely to avoid an accident.
- Clean Your Windshield
Poor visibility is probably the most common reasons why driving at night is difficult. Whether you wear glasses or not, the darkness mixed with oncoming headlights can create glare that makes driving more strenuous.
You can avoid this by ensuring you clean your windshield regularly. A dirty windshield can scatter light, which increases glare, making your eyes work harder.
You should also clean your headlights regularly to make sure that you are getting optimal light and not causing problems for other drivers.
- Stay Slow
Whether you are taking a long road trip and need to drive overnight or it is your job and you do it every day, staying slow is important for road safety.
When it is late at night, you automatically have less visibility than during the day. That means you should not go as fast as you would if it were daytime.
You may additionally have a slower reaction time if you are tired, so it is best to give yourself some extra room if you end up needing to hit the brakes.
Slow down, it does not matter if you are driving on an empty back road or a major highway. You never know what’s going to occur to you, and driving slowly will keep you ready for anything.
- Avoid Two Lane Highways
While this is not all the time possible, avoiding two-lane highways can make late night driving easier. This is because oncoming traffic creates more glare, in addition to lower light overall.
Two-lane highways also normally have more grades and bends than expressways, so if you can take another route during the darkest of hours, it is highly recommended to make sure driver safety.
- Use Your High Beams When Appropriate
High beams are an incredible tool to use when trying to find safety tips. Many people forget to use them, but they can offer you more visibility, particularly if you are in a rural area or back road where there aren’t many street lights.
However, they can’t be used in high traffic areas or when you’re behind another car. Make sure you turn it off if another vehicle is approaching, as you can temporarily blind it with the high beam headlights.
- Change Your Interior Lighting
The lighting inside you can affect your vision while driving, particularly if it is too bright. Make sure all of your important lights are visible but not too bright or distracting.
You can even use a visor to block glare-causing street lighting. Many newer cars even have the option to dim your mirrors, thereby reducing the harshness of reflected light.
- Watch for Wildlife
If you want to avoid increasing car insurance premiums, you should watch out for wildlife, as it’s probably the most common causes of late-night accidents.
Depending on where you live, you can look for various animals, but deer are the most common. A high beam and your headlights can help you see an animal’s eyes, so if you do, slowing down and stopping is the safest way to avoid a collision.
Don’t try to turn and miss the animal, or they might jump and hit you.
And, if you get into an accident from driving late at night, you can all the time call a car accident lawyer to help you through it.
Always Be Careful When Driving Late at Night
Late night driving is commonly unavoidable, but doing it safely is not. Be sure to follow these tips to make sure you arrive at your destination safely and avoid any accidents that may occur.
It’s important that you stay alert and take every precaution you can, such as using high beam lights and driving slowly, no matter how fast you want to get to where you need to go.
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