Driving at Night

Driving at night is dangerous and can be scary. Unfortunately during the winter months are days are shorter and that means less daylight to travel in. We don’t recommend driving at night because in reality it is the most dangerous time to drive. However, if you have no other option there are things you can do to try and make it a bit safer. 

But before we get to that we have to understand: What exactly makes driving at night so much more dangerous? The National Safety Council shared a few of these reasons: 

What makes driving at night dangerous?

Compromised Night Vision 

It already is hard to see at night and as you get older that ability to see at night lessens even more. According to NSC, “50-year-old driver may need twice as much light to see as well as a 30-year-old”. You need to be able to see clearly to navigate the road safely.

Fatigue

Driving while drowsy is terribly dangerous and endangers the driver, passengers and everyone else on the road. “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.” It was also noted that, “Most crashes or near-misses happen at the times you would expect drivers to be tired: 4 to 6 a.m., midnight to 2 a.m. and 2 to 4 p.m., according to NSF”.

Rush Hour

Driving during rush hour which is between the times of 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. on weekdays is always more dangerous. This is because the roads are packed and drivers are impatient to get home from a long day at work. During the winter by the time rush hour comes around it is already dark outside which makes for an even more dangerous situation. 

Impaired Drivers

We all know how dangerous driving under the influence is. This does not just mean drunk driving. This includes driving under the influence of alcohol, drugs and also certain prescription medicines. This should avoided at all costs. When driving out at night there is a much higher chance you are going to encounter an impaired driver than during the day, “particularly between the hours of midnight and 3 a.m. on weekends…While drunk driving has declined by about one-third since 2007, the number of drivers under the influence of drugs has increased. Between 2013 and 2014, 22% of drivers tested positive for a drug that would cause impairment”. So, stay off the roads at night and specifically between those midnight and 3 a.m. if possible.

Next week we will talk a bit on what we can do to try and combat these reasons that make night driving so dangerous, stay tuned and stay safe!

Contact: Glisson Law