On Sunday, we turned our clocks back from 2:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. to mark the end of Daylight Savings Time.
We’re going to get an extra hour of sleep time, but we’re going to pay for it with increased risks for car accidents. Low-light and dark driving conditions can have some serious and dangerous effects on your vision.
Drivers are going to be more likely to experience halos and glares when driving during the early morning and evening hours. A halo is the ring that you see around a point of light and glare is difficulty in seeing in bright environments like when you’re looking into the headlights of oncoming vehicles.
These two circumstances can cause for distorted images and may make objects seem blurry or hazy, according to The Business Journals. In these cases, drivers may become distracted or they might become completely unaware of their surroundings. Since roadway dangers are already harder to see after dark, the risks increase exponentially.
Our Fort Myers car accident lawyers are asking drivers to make the proper adjustment to driving habits to help to compensate for these conditions. Drivers are asked to pay close attention to their surroundings when driving after the sun has set. Aside from having limited visibility when driving during the night, a majority of drivers are generally more fatigued at night. All of this makes it much tougher for drivers to concentrate on the road.
One of the first steps that you can take to better your nighttime driving is to talk to your eye doctor. They’ve got plenty of effective ways to help to improve your nighttime vision.
“Patients should ask their eye care professional about the solutions available, including new innovative contact lenses designed to reduce the appearance of halos and glare and/or glasses,” said Lorne Kashin, the vice president of the Optician’s Association of Canada.
There are a few other quick fixes for nighttime driving. Review the tips below to get on the road to safer nighttime driving.
Nighttime Driving Tips:
-Use your headlights. Your best driving with your headlights on at all times of the day. There’s no harm in it, and there are some serious benefits — like avoiding a car accident.
-Slow it down. You need more time to react to dangers when driving at night. Slowing down will help to increase your reaction time.
-Back off. Use a greater following distance behind other vehicles after the sun sets.
-Keep your eyes moving. Scan the road continuously to prevent your eyes from entering into an autonomous state.
If you are involved in a traffic accident, call Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner, Attorneys for the Injured, for a free and confidential consultation to discuss your rights. 1-800-283-2900.
More Blog Entries:
Rainy Weather Causes Accidents throughout State, Officials Concerned, Florida Injury Lawyer Blog, October 26, 2012
Wearing White to Prevent Teen Accidents: Teen Driver Safety Week, Florida Injury Lawyer Blog, October 25, 2012