Driving at night is inevitable for nearly every car owner. Whether we work late or we catch ourselves out and about after the sun goes down, once it’s dark out, we have no choice but to find our ways back home in the dark. Driving in the dark can be difficult for some with astigmatism that causes ‘night blindness’ or might be startling to do for new or elderly drivers. You can drive safely, though!
Here are some of the best tips to keep you safe while driving at night.
Know Your Path Home
Driving at night is not the time to struggle with the GPS app on your phone! There’s no margin for error while going by car; you don’t want to put your life or the life of anyone around you at risk. Instead, focus on traveling paths you already know or that you’ve traveled before. This planning will keep you safe and save you from nervous driving, causing car crashes.
Watch The White Lines
If you catch yourself blinded by bright lights ahead of you, focus on the markings on the road. Keep your left tires an equal distance from the white line the whole ride home. This idea might feel like an obvious point, but if you’re easily night blinded, this tip could save your life. If you lose the road markings, follow other cars’ lead, or use the curb to guide you instead. Be careful, and drive smart, and you’ll get home safely.
Don’t Stare Into Headlights.
There’s a reason why the phrase ‘deer in headlights‘ exists. Some deer seem to get entranced by the bright lights and freeze up so that they can’t move out of the way when there’s a car rushing towards them. Don’t follow their lead! Pay attention to the vehicles coming towards you, of course, but don’t let yourself become entranced by the lights. Focus on the road ahead of you and keep your mind on track to get you home.
Pay Attention To Brake Lights
Keep your eyes on the brake lights ahead of you. Don’t slam your brakes the moment anyone ahead of you touches theirs, but take time to slow a little and be careful. Not watching brake lights could leave you accidentally ramming into someone who’s turning or slowing to avoid an obstacle in the road. They’re a warning system in place so that you know what’s going on with the other cars ahead of you, so heed that warning!
Go The Speed Limit
If you’re new to driving or elderly, the immediate response to impaired vision may be that you want to slow down to gain a better grasp of things. Although this might seem like it makes sense, it puts everyone around you at risk! You must go the speed limit and keep up with traffic around you. Don’t let yourself become a hazard for those driving around you. Even if you’re slowing down to look at Halton real estate as you go, you could be risking getting rear-ended by a car going the speed limit behind you. Be careful.