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Night Driving Hazards - Driver Factors |
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Vision. People can’t see as sharply at night or in dim light. Also, the eyes need time to adjust to seeing in dim light. Most people have noticed this when walking into a dark movie theater. Glare. Drivers can be blinded for a short time by bright light. It takes time to recover from this blindness. Older drivers are especially bothered by glare. Most people have been temporarily blinded by the high beams of an oncoming vehicle. It can take several seconds to recover from glare. Even two seconds of glare blindness can be dangerous. A vehicle going 55 mph will travel more than half the distance of a football field during that time. Don’t look directly at bright lights when driving. Look at the right side of the road. Watch the sidelines when someone coming toward you has bright lights. Fatigue and Lack of Alertness. Fatigue (being tired) and lack of alertness are bigger problems at night. The body’s need for sleep is beyond a person’s control. Most people are less alert at night,especially after midnight. This is particularly true if you have been driving for a long time. Drivers may not see hazards as soon or react as quickly, so the chance of an accident is greater. If you are sleepy, the only safe cure is to get off the road and get some sleep. If you don’t, you risk your life and the lives of others. Night Driving Procedures Pre-Trip Procedures.
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