The Dangers of Driving at Night

We drive during the night around 25% of our driving time, a lot of us find driving at night a breeze as there is often a lot less traffic around to worry about, whereas others find the lack of clear visibility daunting, but whether you’re confident or wary, there are some important facts that we should all know about in order to drive safer and more confidently at night to prevent accidents or potential hazards.

First of all, for those who think driving at night is safer you’re in for a surprise, deaths caused by cars and traffic happen 3 times more often at night than during the daytime. Driving at night is often easier said than done, especially if you’re travelling down roads with no street lights, this can often make it feel like you’re driving into complete darkness, as your headlights only allow you to see so far in front, which is why driving at night is a lot more dangerous than driving in the daytime.

Despite all the figures and statistics that are actually associated with driving during the twilight hours, a lot of us are still completely unaware of the hazards we face at night, or in fact the precautions we should all take before driving off into the darkness. But really, why is driving at night so dangerous?

Well, there are many reasons, the main one being that you often face very poor visibility. Obviously at night time, the darkness seriously restricts the amount you can see, we end up completely depending on simulated, artificial sources of light such as street lamps and headlights. The headlights on our cars allow us to see a certain amount into the distance, but our tangential vision is not as clear as it is during the daytime. As well as this, darkness hinders us further as it makes it harder for us to fully gauge distances and movement ahead.

As well as this, the lack of sunlight and probable late time causes us to become very tired as we're driving, fatigue can often dull our concentration, which in turn drastically reduces our reaction time. This is also true in the daytime if you are lacking sleep or even hungover, so it’s essential that if you will be driving at night, you are in the right state to do so, and are well rested and prepared for the journey in the dark. Learn more about how to avoid drowsy driving and how it affects your ability to drive safely.

One of the main reasons for night time collisions and accidents can be alcohol. Despite the vigorous campaigns and laws that have been put into place in order to prevent drink-driving, there are still people out there who take the risk and drive over the limit. Some of the most fatal night time crashes occur over the weekend, when people make the wrong decision and choose to drive home drunk after a night out. It's important you are always aware of this type of risk, especially over the weekend, and never drive drunk yourself.

In order to be a safer driver at night there are, of course, some great ways you can do this in order to protect yourself and those around you. Firstly, it can be really beneficial to limit your speed, don't think that just because nobody is around you can speed, there might be someone else around the corner thinking exactly the same thing and before you know it you're involved in a serious road collision, so always take great care, and increase your following distances.

Similarly, don't 'over drive'. Over-driving is when you drive so fast you won't be able to reaction to a hazard that can suddenly appear in your headlights. Your full beam headlights usually allow you to see up to 350 ft in front of you, so when travelling at high speeds, do you think you’d be able to stop within that distance? It's an important factor to think about the next time you're speeding down those secluded roads late at night.

And of course, always remember your headlights, from dusk until dawn, your lights can help you in ways you can't imagine, even if you think you can see ahead quite well, another driver may struggle to see you, so it’s as much about allowing other people to see you as it is you seeing them, so if in doubt, turn them on!

Never take chances when driving at night, keep your wits about you and stay alert, because driving at night can sometimes be more challenging than you think.