Since 49% of all fatal car accidents happen at night, you may want to be more careful when driving at this dangerous time of day. Below is more information for helping you drive safer at night, decreasing your chances of being involved in an accident.
Clean Your Windshield Every Time You Stop For Gas
Bugs, dirt, and dust that strike your windshield while you are driving not only block your line of sight, but they also reflect headlights and streetlamps as they pass by. This sudden increase in light obscures your vision and distracts you, increasing your chances of missing something important while you are driving.
For example, if a large locust splatters your windshield directly in front of your eyes, the lights from an oncoming car could temporarily blind you. If another vehicle pulls out in front of you, you may not see it in time to avoid hitting it.
To prevent this type of scenario, clean your windshield every time you stop for gas. If a gas station does not provide cleaner and a squeegee, use wet paper towels from the bathroom to wipe the glass. Then, buff it with dry ones.
Do Not Keep Your Car's Interior Too Warm
If you tend to fall asleep when the temperature is toasty warm, avoid keeping your heater cranked up in your car. Especially when driving at night, the warmth of your environment plus the hypnotizing effects of the pavement after a long drive could make you fall asleep at the wheel.
For example, if you are warm while driving along a long, straight road in the Midwest with little stimulation, you could start drifting off. If you continue without correcting your sleepiness, you could end up in a ditch or drift into the next lane, striking another vehicle.
When driving at night and become sleepy, either keep your window cracked or turn on your air conditioner. Position the vents so they are blowing in your face. If you still do not feel awake, pull over and take a break, either by walking or taking a power nap.
Use Your Headlights Appropriately
While driving at night, use your headlight low and high beams appropriately. There are times when high beams help you, while other times they could hurt you.
For example, if you are driving on a night with dense fog, high beams would not be appropriate. The intense light would reflect on the fog, blinding you to anything in the road ahead. The reflection could be bright enough so you do not see the taillights of the car in front of you, possibly causing you to have a rear end collision.
Instead of using your high beams, switch them off and use your low beams. If you have fog lights that disperse the light more evenly, use these instead to enhance your visibility.
When driving on a dark road on a cloudy night, the use of your high beams is advisable to help you see better. However, when a car is coming from the opposite direction, you need to switch the lights back to their low setting. Not only does this show courtesy to the other driver, but it keeps you from blinding them and potentially causing them to wreck or crash into you.
Even if you are extra careful while driving at night, you may still find yourself involved in a mishap. Especially if the accident involved another vehicle, you may want to contact a car accident attorney as soon as possible after the accident to find out what steps need to be taken to protect your rights and potential claim.
