Though winter is not quite here yet, the sun is setting earlier each day. Soon, daylight savings time will end for the year and it will be dark outside by 4:30 pm.
Here in Minnesota, we love the winter. But we don’t necessarily love driving in the dark, when the risk of a car accident goes up — especially when someone else on the road is acting carelessly. We cannot control what the other drivers do, but we can improve our chances of getting to our destination safely by practicing the following methods for nighttime driving.
- Keep your windshield and headlights clean. Snow, ice and salt buildup on the lights can reduce their brightness. And dirt on your windshield can cause hotspots and other distortions that make it harder to see what you need to stay on the road and a safe distance from other vehicles.
- Keep interior lights to a minimum. Your dome light and touchscreen can make your pupils narrow as if you are standing in the sun, reducing your ability to see in the darkness outside.
- Avoid looking directly into the headlights from oncoming traffic. The glare can hide vehicles and other objects on the road.
- If you have been prescribed glasses to drive at night, wear them. Avoid tinted lenses. Plain lenses help you see better at night.
These precautions will help you avoid single-car crashes and causing wrecks with other vehicles. But there is no guarantee that the person driving next to you is being as careful as you. A car accident is always a possibility. When it happens, you could find yourself badly injured and unable to work or care for your children.