Fall Back an Hour on Time but be Aware of Night Driving Dangers

October 31, 2014

th9UMPR93TIT’S HALLOWEEN WEEKEND AND WE SET OUR CLOCKS BACK AN HOUR

Nov. 2 is the date to set your clocks back an hour. With Halloween falling on the same weekend, seeing the kids out Trick or Treating reminds us about the dangers of driving at night. Here are some tips to help you stay safe on the road.

LONGER NIGHTS MEAN INCREASED DANGER ON THE ROADS

You might think you drive just as well at night, but consider this: Even though nighttime driving accounts for just 23% of vehicle miles traveled, more than 50% of fatalities for vehicle occupants 16 and older occur between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m., according to the National Safety Commission.

Because we’re big advocates for safety at Perimeter Insurance Agency we thought it would be helpful to take a look at why night driving is more dangerous, and what you can do to decrease that danger.

What’s dangerous about night driving?

  1. Decreased vision. We won’t go into all the biological details, but different parts of the eye (such as iris, pupil and retina) work differently at night. Your peripheral vision is actually slightly improved, but it’s more difficult to focus on objects ahead of you. And traveling between well-lit areas and darker roads creates issues as well.
  2. Driving too fast for your headlights. Depending on vehicle speed and headlight setting, many people “over-drive” their headlights. That means, by the time they see something on the road, it’s too late to stop in time to avoid it.
  3. Impaired judgment. Whether due to drowsiness or the use of alcohol or drugs, it appears that drivers at night often don’t use good judgment. According to the NSC, 66% of fatalities at night involve vehicle occupants who weren’t wearing seat belts.

So what do you do?

Sometimes, there’s no way around driving at night. So here are some tips to help you make a safe trip — whether you’re just running to the store, or you’re headed down to the Thunder game

    1. Make sure your vehicle’s lights are in good working condition. And not just headlights, but turn signals, taillights, etc.
    2. Avoid speeding. Leave a bigger cushion between you and other cars than you would during daylight hours. Leave yourself more time for the trip.
  • Be more aware of your surroundings. You shouldn’t be using your phone, messing around with the radio or trying to find something on the floor while you’re on the road anyway — and distractions are even more deadly at night.

There’s nothing wrong with asking for a ride from a trusted safe driver or waiting for the sun to come out!

While you are inside now that is dark earlier, take a minute to check out a link about the history of time change in the U.S. and go easy on that candy!

http://geography.about.com/cs/daylightsavings/a/dst.htm