Driving at night does present some challenges you likely won’t encounter with daytime drives. Stay safe in Frederick, MD, with these considerations for safer driving after dark.
Driving at Night on Frederick, MD Roads: 4 Safety Tips
1. Ensure Proper Headlight Operation
Lack of visibility is the most apparent consequence of night driving. During dark conditions, your headlights become especially important. Therefore, if your lights begin to dim or flicker, have them checked out by a trained technician immediately. A busted or otherwise inoperable headlight can get you pulled over by law enforcement. Even if your headlights do work properly, they still need to be aligned in the right way.
Replaced or aging headlights can become misaligned and take the focus of the light away from the road and onto other drivers. These conditions lead to danger for you and anyone else on the road. You can correct alignment issues by using the bolt or screw adjusters located somewhere around the headlight. Some headlights also have alignment aid in the form of bubble levels that help you center your lights.
2. Use Lights Correctly
Always use headlights at night rather than parking lights. High beams help expand the brightness and the scope of the road in front of you. These more powerful lights can be detrimental to other drivers, though, so you should stick with low beams if you are coming toward another car from any direction. You can protect yourself from headlight glare by briefly focusing on your lane’s right edge when a vehicle approaches you.
You’ll also want to give your brake lights a periodic check to ensure they are working. These lights are an essential signal for cars behind you. Further, dim your dashboard lights because overly bright dashboards can disorient you. Finally, keep a clean windshield to reap the benefits of your headlights.
3. Proceed with Caution
Staying alert about your surroundings can prevent tragedy. Various obstructions will be more challenging to spot at night, including pedestrians and wildlife. Staying awake is a vital part of staying alert. If you feel your eyes growing heavy, pull over to a safe rest area until the tiredness has passed. Possibly take a nap. If you cannot stay awake, find a motel or another place to sleep safely. Fatigue increases significantly at night and leads to too many highway fatalities.
Fatigue and low visibility can also significantly reduce your reaction time. To mitigate this effect, try to increase the distance between yourself and the vehicles in front of you. And do not speed. When possible, reduce your speed. In addition, don’t become distracted by passengers, your phone, or any other potential attention-taker.
4. Keep Yourself Healthy
Foremost, stay well-rested by getting around seven or eight hours of sleep. Do not drive if you have been awake for more than fifteen hours. Also, be aware of any medications’ effects on your driving. Routine vision tests can help alert you to problems you may have to see the road correctly as well. And if you are older, consider refreshing yourself with driving courses.
Modern vehicles have many driver-assist features that keep you safe during challenging driving conditions. Visit DARCARS Used Car & Service Center of Frederick and evaluate our inventory of safety-enhanced autos.
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