Daylight Saving Time ends a week from Sunday morning and that means you’ll be driving in the dark more than you have in over six months. Fall is also when we see more wildlife on the roads, adding to the safety risks.
Nighttime driving can be one of the most dangerous activities you do on a regular basis. According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) early estimate traffic data for 2023, more than 50 percent of all traffic fatalities continue to occur at night. While traffic fatalities during the nighttime hours decreased 3 percent overall from 2022 to 2023, more than 22,000 people died in nighttime crashes last year.
The statistics are eye-opening to say the least. However, there is really no reason that night driving has to be unsafe. Here are some helpful safety tips to keep in mind when the sun goes down.
Nighttime Driving Safety Tips
1. Check your headlights.
With less light available for you at night, it's critical to check your headlights.
-
Make sure both of them work. If not, replace both of them to avoid having one light stronger or weaker than the other. Check their housings and lenses too. Make sure they’re clean, clear, and aimed correctly.
-
If your headlights look severely cloudy or foggy most auto part stores sell buffering kits that can help. Walmart auto centers provide this service relatively cheap. To get your headlights aimed perfectly, follow the instructions in your owner’s manual. This could take some trial and error. Usually, it is not a difficult thing to do.
2. Headlights, high beams and glare.
It's a good idea to turn your headlights on one hour before dusk and one hour after dawn to increase your vehicle’s visibility.
Always avoid staring at oncoming lights because they can seriously disrupt your concentration at night. Do your best to not gaze into other lights on the road, especially oncoming high beams.
If you are using high beams, dim them when coming traffic approaches. (Many new vehicles are equipped with Automatic High Beams which do this for you.) Use your low beams if you're driving behind someone. State laws govern the use of high beams. Laws vary but in many states you must turn your high beams off within 500 feet of an approaching vehicle or when you are 200- to 300-feet behind a vehicle.
3. Keep the windshield clean.
Make sure your windshield is clean. It might seem like common sense, but having a clean windshield, inside and out, makes a huge difference.
4. Dim your dash lights.
Most people do not realize that driving with your dash lights on maximum brightness can compromise your forward vision. To help combat this simply dim your instrument panel and dash lights.
5. Don't Drive Drowsy or Under The Influence
Realize that at night, your depth perception, ability to distinguish color, and peripheral vision are all worse in low-light conditions, so staying alert and sober is critical. Fight fatigue by having someone else in the car to talk to, have some coffee or other caffeine products on board, or if you need to, simply pull over in a safe location and stretch for a few minutes. You can even try rolling down the window.
6. Drive Defensively
We all understand the dangers of alcohol. One thing everyone should realize is that even if you are sober and alert, other people will get boozed up and jump behind the wheel at night, therefore, putting you in potential danger should you be unfortunate enough to cross their drunken path. So always be aware of what's going on around you and drive defensively.
7. Get your vision checked regularly.
Making sure your vision isn't impaired due to eyesight issues is key in driving safely, day or night. An issue at night can be cataracts. According to the American Optometric Association, cataracts can cause "blurry vision, decreased contrast sensitivity, decreased ability to see under low light level conditions (such as when driving at night), dulling of colors and increased sensitivity to glare."
The AOA also suggests avoiding wearing glasses with wide frames (side arms) that can restrict your vision.
Nighttime Driving Safety Technology
You also may want to consider buying a vehicle with safety technology specifically designed to make driving safer at night.
Night Vision
One example is Night Vision that uses a thermal image to identify pedestrians and animals in a vehicle's path, like the system in the new 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ Sport.
Adaptive Headlights
Another example would be Adaptive Beam Headlights. In 2022, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ruled to allow automakers to install ADB headlights on new vehicles. Rather than adjust from high to low like Automatic High Beams, they adjust the beam pattern to reduce the glare for other drivers without losing any forward lighting you need to see the road ahead of you. The American Automobile Association says Adaptive Headlights increase roadway illumination up to 86 percent compared to standard lights.
Final Thoughts
Just a reminder, make sure you always wear your seatbelt, maintain a generous following distance, and use extra caution at intersections. Please, don’t text and drive, day OR night.
Also, always keep a roadside emergency kit stashed in your vehicle. especially on a trip. You never know when an unexpected event will keep you from reaching your destination. A few necessities you should include: jumper cables, a first aid kit, a flashlight with extra batteries, roadside flares, a quart of oil, and a multi-tool or miniature toolkit. Keep roadside assistance numbers on hand, too. You'll find a list of roadside assistance numbers for every automaker I can find here.
Driving at night doesn’t have to be unsafe. Use your best judgment and if you can avoid driving late at night, particularly on weekends, you should.
