Driving At Night
Staying safe while driving at night is the number one priority for everyone. Especially for those who wear glasses. Read on to learn more about what vision hazards to look out for and how the right glasses can play a big role when driving at night.
Glare
Glare at night can cause dangerous driving because it prevents the driver from seeing clearly. Glare is caused by the lights of oncoming vehicles, the brightness of buildings or traffic lights, and is worse in bad weather conditions.
Reflection
Driving at night after rain or snowstorms can also increase glare and reflection problems. Light bounces off the surface of puddles or snowdrifts, which can also lead to impaired vision while driving. Not to mention that if it snows, the ground can become slippery, increasing the danger.
Why does astigmatism make glare and reflections worse?
When driving at night, the pupils dilate to let more light into your eyes, allowing you to see better in low light. People with astigmatism have difficulty concentrating on any light as it enters the eye. This means that even in the daytime, the light can have glare or blurry streaks. The strong contrast between focusing in the dark and processing bright light makes the vision impairment caused by astigmatism even worse when driving at night.
A variety of factors add to the challenge of driving at night. Here are 12 tips to help reduce risk.
1.Ā Strengthen the defense
The risk of drink-driving is greater after dark, with fatal crashes involving alcohol impairment almost four times higher at night than during the day, the data shows. Of course, never drive after drinking, no matter what time of day (and don't drive distracted); but at night, it's best to keep your defensive driving instincts on high alert.
2.Ā Fight fatigue
Drowsy driving accidents are most likely to occur between midnight and 6 a.m. So be aware that there may be drowsy drivers on the road during these times ā and stay alert. Get some caffeine, stop in a safe place to take a break, or stop for the night.
3.Ā Clean up your view
Dirty or damaged windshields scatter light and can increase the effects of glare, according to reports. The group also reports that dirty or damaged headlights can reduce your visibility and cast glare on oncoming drivers. So clean your headlights and windshield regularly.
4.Ā Avoid two-lane highways
Two-lane highways can be the "worst-case scenario" for glare at night because of the headlights of oncoming cars, the lower overall lighting.
5.Ā Slow down
Control the speed and increase the safety distance. Driving at night is not as slow as possible, but should be controlled at a reasonable speed. The so-called reasonable speed is that the speed of the vehicle is close to the speed limit or the speed of the traffic flow. Driving too fast or too slow at night can easily lead to traffic accidents. Due to the influence of vision at night, it is necessary to increase the following distance at night. If the speed of the vehicle is above 100 kilometers per hour, the safe distance is preferably more than 150 meters. If the speed is below 100 kilometers, then the safe distance is preferably 100 meters. above. In this way, even if some emergencies happen to the car in front, the car behind has enough time to react and take measures.
6.Ā Correctly adjust the headlight angle
If the beam is tilted down too much, you will lose some of the lighting you need while driving. But if they lean too high, they can blind oncoming drivers.
7.Ā Use high beams when appropriate
High beams are underused in cities, but can be very useful in rural areas or on the open road. Remember to dim them when you're within 500 feet of an oncoming vehicle (so you don't temporarily blind other drivers), and don't use them if you're following another vehicle.
8.Ā Adjust your interior lighting
If your dash lights are too bright, looking at the dark road ahead from the dash can be disorienting. Dim indoor lights at night so key controls remain clearly visible but not distracting.
9.Ā Find the right direction
While you should always keep your eyes on the road, avoid staring at oncoming headlights. When you pass oncoming traffic, keep your eyes up and keep looking straight ahead.
10.Ā Keep an eye out for wildlife
Animal collisions often occur when you are on the road. Your high beams can help you spot the glowing eyes of animals. When you see them, the safest way to avoid them is to slow down and stop rather than force a turn.
11.Ā Take care of your eyes
Get your vision checked once a year; glare becomes more of a problem for people as they age. You may also need to use a different prescription at night.
12.Ā Test and use your lights
Test all your headlights regularly. Not only do you need to turn them on when it's dark, but you should also turn them on during bad weather conditions like rain, snow, and hail.
