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Ten Tips for Safe Night Driving

Night driving increases during the holiday season as we are frequently out enjoying social events with others or running errands after work. With more Louisville accidents occurring in the evening hours than any other time of day it is of the utmost importance to remind ourselves of some key safety tips when driving at night, here are our top ten:

  1. Prepare your vehicle for night driving. Clean your signal lights, headlights, and taillights once a week. Regularly check that all of your exterior lights are in proper working order. Also keep the windshield and windows of your car clean, especially if you regularly smoke in your vehicle.
  2. When in doubt turn on your headlights. A good rule of thumb is to turn your lights on 1 hour before sunset and keep them on 1 hour after sunrise for maximum visibility.
  3. When approaching another vehicle with its high beams on, refrain from flashing your high beams at them. This will lessen their visibility and is much more likely to cause an accident. A tip to avoid glare from an approaching vehicle’s high beams is to watch the right edge of the road and using it as a steering guide.
  4. Avoid staring directly at the headlights of an oncoming vehicle as it will impair your night vision, even after the vehicle has passed.
  5. Keep the lights inside of your vehicle off while driving. Any kind of light inside the car will seem very bright and will make it more difficult to see.
  6. If the headlights of the vehicle behind you is creating glare in either your side or rear-view mirror adjust your mirrors so your vision isn’t impaired.
  7. Driving at night is more tiring than day driving. Drowsiness can affect concentration and slow reaction time. If you do find yourself becoming drowsy while driving, take a break, and make sure that there is proper ventilation inside the car.
  8. Don’t drink and drive. Not only does alcohol harshly impair your driving ability, but it also acts as a depressant. Unfortunately you should also keep in mind that other drivers may be impaired. If you see another car driving erratically, give yourself extra space or pull over.
  9. Keep your car maintenance current. Regularly check tire pressure, fluid levels and brake pads. If you’re not sure how to check the maintenance of your vehicle, visit a Louisville automobile mechanic for a list of the recommended regular maintenance for your vehicle. If you do experience car trouble, pull off the road as far as possible. Warn approaching traffic by turning on your flashers and dome light immediately and when safe to do so by setting up reflecting triangles or flares near your vehicle and 300 feet behind it.
  10. Reduce your speed and increase your following distances. It is more difficult to judge other vehicle's speeds and distances at night. A great tip is to not overdrive your headlights, which means you should be able to stop inside your illuminated area. If you're not, you are creating a blind crash area in front of your vehicle. Road conditions and visibility can change in moments, regardless of the time of day. Be prepared and be alert!

If you are involved in an automobile accident this holiday season schedule your free initial consultation to discuss your case with your Louisville Injury Attorney, Richard Breen Law Offices at 2950 Breckenridge Lane Suite 3, Louisville, KY 40220 if you are in a car accident.  You can call at 502-473-0579.

After I was injured in a car crash I had problems with the insurance company. After I called Richard Breen, I didn't have to worry about the insurance company. Richard Breen did a great job.
— Becky Meisner

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