How California Residents Can Drive More Safely at Night
Driving when it is dark outside is not only challenging, sometimes it is absolutely treacherous. When it is nighttime, the ability of a person’s eye to distinguish between colors, perceive depth, and use peripheral vision are all significantly reduced. Even those top-of-the-line headlights will only light up the roadway roughly 400 to 500 feet ahead of your car.
Other hazards can make driving on California’s roads at night even more of a dangerous task. Drunk, distracted, and drowsy drivers pepper the landscape, and none of them make good highway companions. Even though the amount of traffic on the road is reduced by 60%, accident rates go up by 40% once the sun goes down. Fatal auto accidents are also four times more likely to occur than in the daytime.
We realize that many California residents have people to see and things to do, even when it is dark out. For most, not driving at night, even for safety reasons, is simply not practical. To ensure that you stay safe after sundown, follow these night driving safety tips.
Adjust Your Headlights
If you suddenly realize that you are having a hard time seeing your surroundings at night because your headlights are only illuminating the bit of road that is directly in front of your car? This is because headlights slip over time, slowly lowering their aim until all they are showing you is the ground a couple of feet in front of your car.
This is a very easy adjustment that can be made by either a mechanic or on your own. Taking a little bit of time to make this small correction made can really make a difference when you are driving at night and will also reduce your chances of having a car accident.
Turn Down Your Dash Lights
Unnecessarily bright high-intensity discharge (HID) lights can not only decrease your range of vision, but they can be very distracting as well. Turning these lights down as much as you can will help to decrease the number of reflections and glares on your windshield which can be hazardous when you are driving at night. This also enables your eyes to adjust more fully to the dark so that you are able to see better.
Clean Your Windshield and Mirrors
Glares and streaks can greatly reduce your capacity to fully notice your surroundings. Wiping your windshield down with newspaper is a great way to removing smudges, spots, and streaks that can hinder your vision.
If you have implemented all of these night driving changes and are still having trouble seeing as well as you should, you might want to consider a visit to an optometrist to have your eyes checked.
If you have been injured in a vehicle collision, then it is important that you get in touch with an experienced California car accident attorney right away. The Los Angeles Injury Group work diligently for their clients in order to make sure that they receive all of the financial compensation to which they are entitled. Trying to understand the judicial system on your own is a difficult and tiresome feat. Our professional car accident attorneys are here to fight with you. For a free, no-obligation consultation with one of our experienced car accident attorneys, reach out to us by calling (310) 954-7248 today.