Shorter Days

1. Scan continually for hazards. The drive to and from work or school will be darker in early and late hours, so expect impaired visibility and watch for pedestrians, joggers, and bicyclists who may be sharing the road.
2. Invest in and wear high-quality sunglasses. Reflections and glare from early morning and late afternoon sun may cause temporary blindness.
3. Keep windows, mirrors and lights clean. Dirty headlights can reduce visibility effectiveness by 75%.
4. Never wear tinted lenses while driving at night. So called “night- driving lenses” with any tint or polarization only reduces the limited visibility, making driving more hazardous.
5. Head lights can blind drivers. Avoid looking directly at headlights of oncoming vehicles. Instead look briefly to the white edge line on the right edge of the road.
6. Allow time for your eyes to adjust to the dark before driving. Just a few minutes can make a world of difference. Good vision is vital for safe driving. 90% of the decisions we make while driving are based on visual information gathered.
7. Increase your distance from the vehicle ahead of you. Your ability to calculate distance is diminished by darkness. Distance gives you more time to react.
8. Use your headlights properly. Use low beams in fog, and dim your headlights well before over taking a vehicle.
9. Lower the brightness of dashboard lights and set the rearview mirror prior to driving. Distraction during driving increases accident potential.
10. Always carry flares or reflectors for a breakdown. Keep them in an area where they can be easily accessed in an emergency.