Understanding the dangers of night driving may encourage people to drive defensively.
1. Reduced visibility
The lack of daylight and proper street lighting makes driving more challenging at night. The hazards of driving in the dark are the following:
- The inability to see animals, cars or obstacles on the road
- Glare from oncoming vehicle headlights, especially newer LED headlights
- Reflection of lights on wet surfaces
- Misaligned or scratched headlights do not adequately illuminate the roads
- Other drivers not paying attention to turns in the road, hazards or animals
Many of these conditions are unavoidable while driving at night, making it difficult for drivers to avoid accidents.
2. Driver fatigue
After a long day, drivers may be sleepy driving at night. According to the National Safety Council, drivers are three times more likely to cause accidents when tired. Fatigued drivers might be slow to react to hazards, close their eyes, and lose control of their vehicles. Researchers suggest that an extreme lack of sleep is equivalent to driving under the influence.
3. Impaired drivers
Most drunk driving accidents occur in the late evening and early morning hours. These times are when people leave bars or parties and get behind the wheel after having too much to drink. Inebriated drivers have difficulty controlling their cars and choosing safe driving techniques, putting other drivers in danger of a collision.
Night driving is more dangerous than traveling during the day. Drivers should not only be proactive to avoid the hazards of night driving, but they should be responsible for ensuring they are not also a contributing factor.