In our line of work, we meet people who require our services because they drove poorly at night. When it’s already dark, there is a greater risk on the safety of the drivers and the community.
It is far more difficult to see the road, other cars, bikes, and pedestrians. Unfortunately, drunk drivers are more likely to drive at night too. Some people may not be drunk but they may be tired, which is also dangerous.
Don’t wait until you need a towing service for your overturned vehicle before you decide to change and drive safely. With a higher risk of meeting an accident at night, safety must be one of your top priorities.
Here are a few night-driving tips to improve your safety and the safety of the community as well:
1. Check Your Lights
Before heading out or heading home, make sure that your headlights and taillights are working. Make sure to turn them on as the sunsets. Sometimes people may forget to turn the lights until someone reminds them or until they can’t see the road clearly anymore.
Lights don’t only help the drivers see, they also help make you look more visible for other drivers and pedestrians alike. Also, make sure that your headlights are properly aligned for better visibility.
2. Slow Down
We get that you would want to rush to get to your home immediately but that would just increase your risk of missing an accident. There are many scenarios at night when you need to slow down such as:
- To clearly see what signs or reflectors say
- When your near pedestrian lanes or intersections
- When turning or when there’s a blind spot on the road
- To clear your eyes because of high-beam headlights from another car
- When it’s raining, snowing, or when going through a fog
- When you sense something looks, smells, or sounds wrong about your car
- When wildlife crossing is a possibility
3. Resist The Urge To Always Overtake
Overtaking at night is still a possibility but you have to make sure that there is enough room for the cars and you’re using your lights to signal other vehicles. Also, let the other cars know that you are overtaking.
4. Don’t Drink And Drive
Even if you think you can still drive, take a cab when you had alcoholic drinks. Don’t risk your life and other people’s lives. Alcohol slows down your reaction time and this can be fatal not only to you but also to the other people in the community.
5. Rest When You’re Tired
Another main cause of fatal car accidents is driving when your sleepy or tired. When you’re tired, your reaction speed is also slow and you can’t easily focus on the things on the road. Better keep yourself awake by resting first before you drive or chatting with other passengers in your car.
