4-28Driving at Night
Night driving is more dangerous than day driving.
One reason is that some drivers are likely to be
impaired
-- by alcohol or drugs, with night vision
problems, or by fatigue. Here are some tips on night driving.
Drive defensively.
Don't drink and drive.
Since you can't see as well, you may need to
slow down and keep more space between you and
other vehicles.
Slow down, especially on higher speed roads. Your
headlamps can light up only so much road ahead.
In remote areas, watch for animals.
If you're tired, pull off the road in a safe place
and rest.
No one can see as well at night as in the daytime. But as
we get older these differences increase. A 50
- year
- old
driver may require at least twice as much light to see the
same thing at night as a 20
- year
- old.
What you do in the daytime can also affect your night
vision. For example, if you spend the day in bright
sunshine you are wise to wear sunglasses. Your eyes will
have less trouble adjusting to night. But if you're
driving, don't wear sunglasses at night. They may cut
down on glare from headlamps, but they also make a lot
of things invisible.
