Night Owl Drivers: Surviving the Dark:

Download for print

Behind-the-wheel night owls - those who operate motor vehicles after dark - face far greater risks than do those who drive during the daytime. A couple of simple highway statistics make this all too clear:

• Death rates are three times higher at night than in the day.
• Most accidents occur at night, although there is far less traffic then.

The increased dangers of after dark driving fall into three driver-related categories: Vision, alertness, operations. The following sections look at these dangers, and some ways for you to cope.

Darkness, of course, makes everything harder to see. Thus, a leading night-travel hazard is that of over-driving your headlights - moving too fast to react or stop within the distance illuminated by your lights.

Absence of light also impairs peripheral vision and abilities to judge distance, movement, and color.

To help offset such problems, keep the following measures in mind:

• Get you eyesight examined regularly
• Avoid looking directly into intense light sources - such as oncoming headlamps and "flashing arrows" used in construction-site lighting.
• If you spend a lot of time outdoors in the sun, wear sunglasses. This preserves properties in the eye that promote night vision. (On the other hand, avoid using sunglasses at night.)

Your condition behind the wheel is important anytime, no more so than at night. Particularly crucial is your alertness, which can be undermined by a condition of fatigue. Not only can fatigue cause you to fall asleep. It also can impair your concentration and reaction time. To ward off fatigue, consider these:

Try to get appropriate sleep on a regular basis.

Attempt to plan your trips with convenient rest breaks in mind - so you can refresh yourself, stretch, relax, have coffee or a bite.

You can have a good influence on the outcome of night driving by paying attention to hoe you prepare and operate your vehicle. Beyond the exercise of normal caution, judgment, and defensive driving skills, here are some particulars to think about:

• Compensate for the effects of darkness by sharply reducing your speed. Slow down significantly, compared with your speed during the day. Again, don't overdrive your headlights.
• Be aware that automated speed-control devices for highway cruising are not recommended for night use.
• Leave extra distance between you and the vehicle you're following.
• Routinely test all lights and signals for proper working order.
• Be sure headlights are clean and properly aligned.
• Routinely clean windshield and side window - inside and out.
• Switch on your headlamps at the first hint of diminishing light.
• Don't abuse high-beam use. Follow "dimming" specifications for your state.  And avoid using high beams in snow or fog.
• If an approaching vehicle fails to dime its high beams, don't "flash" your brights back. Instead, turn your focus on the right margin of the road until the blinding lights have passed.

In the end, remember this: If you drive after dark, take comfort in knowing that awareness, planning, and careful vehicle operation can help you through to see the light.