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Nighttime Driving — A Common and Dangerous in South Florida

We all know it’s a little tougher to drive at night. In fact, about 7 out of 10 drivers in the country actually fear driving at night because of a lack of visibility. In South Florida, we may not have to deal with winter, but early darkness and heavy tourist traffic make for dangers that are uniquely their own.

Roughly 40 percent of drivers even say that they fear crashing into a person or an animal while another 25 percent say they’re just worried they won’t see the road markings, according to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).

Our Boynton Beach car accident lawyers understand that about 90 percent of our maneuvers behind the wheel are made based on what we see. Driving becomes a whole lot tougher when you take sight out of the equation. And that’s exactly the problem when visibility is reduced in the nighttime dark.

Although there’s about 60 percent less travel that takes place at night, this time still sees about 40 percent of all fatal car accidents. For this reason, we’re asking drivers to be cautious out there and to take all of the proper safety precautions to prevent these kinds of accidents. Stay awake and stay alert while driving at night.

Nighttime Safe Driving Tips:

-Prepare Yourself. Make sure that your mirrors are clear and in place. Check your side-view mirrors and your rear-view mirror. Make sure that your windshield and other windows are clear and clean to help to maximize visibility.

-Check Headlights. Make sure they’re adjusted regularly. For the ones that are adjusted on the fly, make sure they’re aimed lower for city driving and higher for country driving. If you’re driving toward a vehicle that has bright headlights, move over a lane to get them out of your direct view. If there’s a vehicle behind you and the lights are too bright, find a safe place to pull over and let the vehicle pass, or move to the right-hand lane.

-Watch Your Windshield. Make sure your windshield wipers are in good shape. You want to also make sure that your windshield wiper fluid is full. If you’re traveling up north, make sure you’ve got an ice scrapper with you.

-Stay Alert. Don’t turn to mobile devices to keep your eyes moving. You want to keep your eyes on the lookout for pedestrians, other vehicles, reflectors, animals’ eyes and even debris on the road.

-Stay Within Your Headlights. You want to always be able to step within the area that’s illuminated in front of you. If you can’t do that, you’re driving too fast.

-Keep It Low. You want your dashboard lights to be set at a safe low setting. Since the contrast between bright and dark will impede your vision, limiting the brightness in your car should help you see at night and avoid car accidents.

-Rest Up. Before heading out on any road trips, make sure you get plenty of rest. The last thing that you want to be behind the wheel is sleepy. Ultimately, you should avoid driving when your body is usually sleeping, but if you have to — make sure you’re ready and well rested.

If you or a loved one has been involved in an accident, contact Freeman, Mallard, Gonzalez & Sharp for a free and confidential consultation to discuss your rights. Call 1-800-561-7777.

More Blog Entries:

Dangerous I-95 Interchange Claims Another Life, South Florida Injury Lawyers Blog, February 16, 2013

Florida Teen Drivers Need Use Extra Caution During Tourist Season, South Florida Injury Lawyers Blog, February 10, 2013

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