Dangers of Driving at Night

You may find yourself driving at night often especially during long road trips. “When Daylight Saving Time ends – for 2019, that’s 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 3 – many people will find themselves spending more time driving in the dark.”

Everyone knows driving at night is more difficult than during the day but not many people realize how much more difficult. “Even with high-beam headlights on, visibility is limited to about 500 feet (250 feet for normal headlights) creating less time to react to something in the road, especially when driving at higher speeds.”

Here are some of the reasons listed by the National Safety Council on why driving at night is increasingly dangerous: 

Comprised Night Vision

“Night vision is the ability to see well in low-light conditions. As we age, we have greater difficulty seeing at night. A 50-year-old driver may need twice as much light to see as well as a 30-year-old.”

Fatigue

“A National Sleep Foundation poll says 60% of adults have driven while they were tired, and another 37%, or 103 million people, have fallen asleep at the wheel.”

Rush Hour

“Evening rush hour (between 4 and 7 p.m. weekdays) is a dangerous time to drive due to crowded roadways and drivers eager to get home after work”

Impaired Driving

“Impaired drivers are most frequently on the road after dark – particularly between the hours of midnight and 3 a.m. on weekends.”