Car accidents can happen at any time of day. However, fatal ones like the one that happened near 23rd and Wheeling are more common at night. If you talk to most drivers, they’ll tell you that it is more dangerous to drive at night than during the day. That’s mainly because of visibility issues due to poor lighting conditions.
However, aside from the obvious visibility issues, there are far more reasons why it is more dangerous to drive at night. We are going to tell you more about those reasons so that we can all better prepare for them. In this way, may we be able to help prepare drivers for nighttime driving and in turn help lessen the number of accidents happening at night.
Driving Under A Blanket Of Darkness
With the absence of the sun at night to provide ambient lighting, drivers would only rely on their car’s headlights and the street lights for visibility. With the lack of light, our eyes have diminished capabilities to clearly see at night. Our depth perception, ability to distinguish colors and peripheral vision are all negatively affected.
As we mostly use our sense of sight to react while driving, there could be a dramatic decrease in our reaction time at night. Whether you are using high beams or not, there would still be a decrease because of the reduced visibility.
Our headlights can have a limited range so we may not be able to see everything well enough. Sometimes debris on the road, animals, and other obstacles seemingly become invisible due to the lack of light.
The Rush Hour
Nighttime driving also involves driving at the rush hour. Whether it is a holiday or not, many people tend to go back home at night. Congestion may be present during rush hour and driving at stop-and-go could easily cause miscalculations. You could end up rear-ending a car or being rear-ended if you don’t react fast enough or if you don’t pay full attention while driving.
Driving Under The Influence
Most people who drive under the influence drive at night. It is after office hours that they drink and party. From midnight up to 3 in the morning especially on the weekends, you can expect someone to be intoxicated driving.
Although driving under the influence is illegal and punishable by law, there are still lots of people who are stubborn. They feel that they are still sober enough to drive a vehicle. Although they can still manage to drive. Their reaction time is further reduced by whatever alcohol or drugs they drank or used. Add that to the limited visibility and all other factors and they are a disaster waiting to happen.
Distracted Drivers
Apart from stubborn intoxicated drivers, you’ll also find distracted drivers are more common at night. In the middle of the night, there may not be as many cars on the road as compared to daytime. However, that doesn’t give drivers the excuse that it is alright for drivers to get distracted.
Whether it is using their phones, changing songs on the car, or eating, distraction while driving should be avoided. Additionally, some drivers are more tempted to get distracted because they think that other people cannot see them get distracted.
Nocturnal Animals
Nocturnal animals also make it more dangerous to drive at night. In the daytime, there are fewer animals on the road because they could be scared. When nighttime comes, they’ll be less visible so they feel safer to go out.
However, they can cause accidents to those driving at night. They could get run over by cars. Sometimes, cars might try to avoid them but end up crashing with another car in the process. There are also times when startled animals run back or go in different directions and end up getting hit by the car.
Your Natural Body Clock
Our body clock dictates when we go to sleep. Usually, at night time we feel more sleepy because we produce hormones that tell us that it is time to sleep. It’s a natural process that can work against us.
If you are planning to drive at night, it is best to take a rest before driving. Take breaks if you are driving for far distances. Highway hypnosis can happen due to the darkness of the surroundings and the light coming from oncoming cars.
Remember to stay more alert at night. All the risks involved during driving during the day are still present at night. Examples would be the various road conditions. Slippery roads due to rain or ice will remain slippery no matter what time it is.
Best prepare for these dangers and also don’t forget to read about our other tips on how you can improve your safety while driving at night.
Having car trouble at night can feel frustrating and scary. With Clockwork Towing Company, you can be sure that their 24-hour roadside service arrives as quickly as possible to give you all the help you need…
