Nighttime Road Hazards – Pickup Truck +SUV Talk

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that nearly 41,000 people died in car accidents in 2023. Even though only 25% of daily transportation by motor and other vehicles occurs after the sun sets, approximately 50% of those traffic fatalities happened at night.

Nighttime road hazards don’t always involve physical road conditions like black or slick rain and ice patches, damaged or missing road signs, dangerous debris, or hidden potholes and sinkholes. Most crashes occur at night for three primary reasons. Read on to learn more…

Poor Eyesight or Visibility

Human eyes see better during the day than at night. As people age, their ability to recognize different colors and many close, distant and peripheral objects drops. Natural aging causes them the most difficulty during twilight and low-light hours. The glare from overly bright headlights and high beams can cause temporary blindness as well. Rapidly moving dark objects near or on a road, such as animals that have dark fur and people who fail to wear reflective clothing, also cause problems. Low visibility is contributing factor in pedestrian deaths, the majority of which happen at night. In fact pedestrian accidents are on the rise across the country, Oakland, California alone saw 52 such accidents in 2022.

Tips: Travel only during daylight hours. If no other option exists, clean dirty headlights and the windshield to improve visibility. Drive slowly, especially in city areas where a person might suddenly step off a sidewalk onto a street and in rural areas where deer and other wild animals often cross stretches of highway. Additionally, wear anti-glare or nighttime driving glasses.

Social Distractions and Substance Abuse

Accidents often occur during the evening rush hour and on weekends when people are distracted by traffic, their schedules and social obligations. They often experience a decrease in their ability to pay close attention to their surroundings while rushing home from work or school, traveling to nighttime events, or hanging out with friends in vehicles or on the sides of roads. Many drivers allow themselves to become distracted by one or more portable devices. Some decide to drive after leaving bars, clubs and parties where they drank alcohol or took drugs or other substances that impaired their judgment. 

At night, social distractions and impairment can happen at any time. That said, some hours are historically worse than others. Drivers aren’t always responsible for these accidents. Sudden, unexpected actions by passengers and pedestrians can also cause major injuries and fatalities.

Tips: Stop driving or traveling during nighttime rush hour between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. or during the first three a.m. hours from Friday through Monday. Limit distractions inside of a vehicle. Never drink or take drugs before driving or while on the road. Drive more cautiously and look constantly for potential distractions and hazards, such as a group of people goofing off while walking on the side of the road or an individual walking with a pet on a leash.

Varying Degrees of Fatigue

The human body has an internal clock (i.e., circadian rhythm) that helps people sleep during the times of day best suited for optimal health and physical recovery. This clock usually prompts people to sleep between 12 a.m. and 6 a.m. and nap later in the afternoon. Yet, long work hours, stressful events, sleep disorders, certain medications, alcohol and other substances can make people feel drowsy during and outside of these hours. Drivers often get behind the wheel when their bodies warn them that they need sleep. They might experience sudden, confusing thoughts and fatigue or uncontrollable eye watering and yawning.

The NHTSA found that police reported nearly 91,000 fatigue-related crashes in 2017. More than 500 people die yearly from driving drowsy. Although these numbers seem high, industry experts believe that these are low-end, inaccurate estimates and that the true number of crashes and fatalities that result from fatigue is much higher than anyone realizes.

Tips: Never drive during optimal sleep hours and maintain a regular daily sleep schedule. Before driving, check medications for related side effects and forego consuming or using any sort of substance that might cause sleepiness. If necessary, take a nap before a drive or, as soon as symptoms begin, pull over on the side of the road to take a 10- to 20-minute nap. If napping isn’t immediately possible, drink a caffeinated beverage and use reflectors, road signs and rumble strips to focus.