Motorists, including experienced ones, will find it more difficult to drive at night. This is because the lack of light not only limits vision, but also affects a person’s depth perception, colour recognition and peripheral vision.

Dangers of the night

A person’ field of vision is reduced in the dark, and it’s worse if he suffers from night blindness. Reduced vision can impair judgment and delay reflex actions. And after a hard day’s work, fatigue and drowsiness compound the dangers of driving at night as well.

Older drivers have it worse. As we age, our eyes become more sensitive to glare. By age 60, our eyes can only absorb about one-third of the light as compared with those of a 20-year-old. This is due to physiological changes occurring within the eye; conditions like cataracts, glaucoma, and macular degeneration will also impair vision.

Motorists driving under the influence of alcohol are another danger of night driving, and this problem is usually more prevalent during weekends and the eve of public holidays.

Staying safe on the road

There are several precautions you can take to minimise the dangers of night driving:

• Switch on your headlights
  As dusk sets, our eyes have to adjust to the growing darkness, thus this is the time of the day when it’s most difficult to drive. Being seen is as important as seeing, so you should switch on your headlights to make it easier for other drivers to see you. This is particularly important if you have a dull-coloured car that does not stand out very well in the dark.



• Keep the windows clean
  The windshield should be kept clean of grime as dirty windows increase the glare from oncoming vehicles’ lights, making it more difficult for you to see your surroundings properly.



• Align your headlights correctly
  Headlights should be set at a low beam position, unless you are travelling on a road with low or very little street lighting. Properly aligned headlights will help you see the road better and reduce glare for other drivers too.



• Minimise glare
  Being dazzled by the high beam of another vehicle can temporarily affect your ability to see clearly. If an oncoming vehicle’s headlights are on high beam, divert your eye to the left side of the road to avoid the glaring light. Use the edge of the road as a guide. Don’t retaliate by switching on your high beam too, as this only makes the situation twice as dangerous.
  
  Most cars have a mirror that can be tilted to deflect glare. If the high beam is coming from a car behind you, position the mirror or use the “night setting” on your rear view mirror to deflect the glare.



• Keep the interior dark
  Turn off all interior lights in the car. Any source of light inside the car will appear extremely bright and this makes it more difficult for the driver to see properly.



• Beware of drink drivers
  Steer clear of drivers who don’t seem to be in control of their vehicles. Also keep a safe distance between yourself and anyone who appears to be driving recklessly, such as if he’s weaving in and out of lanes, and driving at erratic speeds with the headlights off.