Did you know that most fatal car accidents happen at night? Even if there are significantly fewer cars at night than in the day, most fatal car accidents still happen at night. Although most of us know that, we still can’t just choose to drive during the day.
Even if we try to avoid it, certain circumstances will still lead us to drive even at night. Whether it is a late night in the office or an emergency that we have to go to at night, we need to prepare ourselves so that we can be safer when we drive at night. Here’s how you can do that:
One of the most common reasons why people end up in accidents or in crashes at night is due to the lack of light. During day time, we have ample light from the sun but when it comes to night, we mostly rely on our headlights. That’s why you should never forget to check and test the headlights.
The headlights will guide you through the road at night. It’s easy and quick to check whether the headlights are working or not so don’t skip it. Don’t just check to see whether they can be switched on or not. You should make sure that they are working well.
Those with older car models should check if the lights are still bright enough. If they are too dim, your bulbs might need replacement. Furthermore, you may also need to clean the headlights cover to prevent light from being obstructed.
Lack of sleep prevents the brain from working properly and you need your brain to work optimally when you drive at night. It is more challenging to drive at night and you need to make sure you are completely focused. If your body feels tired and drowsy, you cannot drive properly. Your reaction time may also slow down so it would be more challenging to avoid accidents.
The best way to prepare yourself for nighttime driving is to rest. If you know you are going to drive on the road at night especially for an extended period, then you should sleep first.
Apart from lack of sleep, some medications can also make you feel drowsy as a side effect. Check what type of medicine you take in and make sure they do not make you drowsy.
Adding to the difficulty of nighttime driving is getting lost. You don’t want the stress of getting lost especially at night. Make it much easier for you to know where to go and which roads to take by using navigation systems.
Lack of ambient light has already impaired your vision, don’t blindly navigate at night. If you are not familiar with where you are going, it would be best to use a map. Today, we don’t just use physical paper maps. We now have apps for that. This makes it so much easier for us to get to where we need to go.
Additionally, the apps also have special features like voice directions so that drivers won’t get distracted while using them. All that has to be done is to set the destination and the app creates a route that we follow.
Whether it is alcohol or drugs, drivers should never drive under the influence. The reaction time is greatly negatively affected by using such substances. It can also be the cause of impaired vision, which also boosts the risk of meeting an accident.
If you intend to use any substance such as recreational drugs or alcohol, it is best to leave driving in the hands of more capable people. You are not only putting your life at risk but also the life of other people who also use the roads at night.
It is already challenging for your eyes to see what is on the road due to the lack of light. With the lack of light, our eyes adjust. That is why you should also avoid bright interior lighting. Having bright interior light can be distracting. Plus, your eyes would need to adjust often when the intensity of the interior light doesn’t match that of the outside.
Make it easier for your eye and just dim your interior lights. Apart from interior lights, you should also dim down the backlight or brightness of the devices you use such as your phone or the screen on your computer.
You may want to immediately get home or get to your destination. However, that doesn’t mean that you should rush. You’ll eventually get home in a much safer way if you don’t rush to get home. It is never good to drive aggressively at any time of day.
Fast speeds are more difficult to control. Night driving is already more challenging so don’t make it more difficult by speeding. Choose to have better control over your vehicle by slowing down.
When your car suddenly breaks down at night or when you, unfortunately, meet an accident, the most reliable company to call is Capstone Towing Company. With the 24/7 roadside assistance, you can count on these professionals anytime and anywhere in Philadelphia.
