You could drive the same roads every day, but they look different during the day than they do at night. You may know enough about the road to think you could drive it blindfolded, but that doesn’t mean that you don’t need to pay extra attention after the sun goes down.
Like other parts of the country, many of the accidents that happen here in Dallas happen at night. Understanding why could help you avoid a collision.
Reminders and tips for night driving
Even seasoned drivers can forget some of the cardinal rules for driving safely at night. They become complacent with driving since they do it every day. With the days growing shorter at this time of year, now would be a good time to review some tips and reminders like the ones below:
- Drive slower at night. This gives you more time to react if something happens.
- The less artificial light around you at night, the greater the chances you need to use your high beams in order to see, but make sure to turn down in order to avoid temporarily blinding any oncoming traffic.
- Even though you could encounter a drunk or drugged driver at any time of the day, the odds go up after dark and the later it gets.
- Another type of driver you may encounter more often at night is the drowsy driver. Not only could this happen because it’s the end of a long day, but it could also happen due to the dark itself since our natural body rhythms tend to begin making us sleepy when it’s dark.
- Make sure you are not too tired to drive, either. Your reaction time slows, and you will probably have trouble concentrating on driving.
- Distracted driving is more dangerous at night than it is during the day, and it’s pretty dangerous during the daylight hours. Remove anything that could cause you to divert your attention from the road and driving.
Remaining vigilant and paying extra attention at night can help keep you alive. Doing so could help you avoid a collision involving a driver who does not take driving at night as seriously as he or she should. If you can’t avoid an accident, you may find yourself facing a lengthy recovery due to your injuries.
You could also find yourself facing a mountain of medical bills, lost income and other damages. You could seek the compensation you deserve by filing a personal injury claim against the other driver.