As locals are preparing to either take a trip out of the city or host guests from out of town, it is important to remember that road safety is a top priority no matter what time of day.
Arrive Alive has put together a few tips for road safety when travelling at night. According to the online road safety awareness website, road authorities agree that night driving presents unique challenges, increased risks and numerous deaths and injuries.
Arrive Alive also highlighted that many drivers “believe that there is safety in reduced traffic and are unaware of how to deal with the challenges of driving at night, sharing the roads with those less responsible road users venturing onto the roads.” The advice is that road users try by all means to avoid driving at night, if possible.
Increased risks include several factors such as decreased visibility. “Many inexperienced young drivers are on the roads at night and do not have the skills and concentration that comes with experience. Elderly drivers need more light to see, as well as young drivers. Vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, cyclists and bikers are often not clearly visible to motorists and vice versa,” said Arrive Alive.
Planning could be the difference between life and death.
“We must acknowledge that we cannot see as much and as far as we can during the daytime, making our road environment more dangerous. We are dependent on artificial light hence our reduced ability to see road signs, vehicles, pedestrians and other hazards. We are also less able to pick up sudden movements quickly and respond to them effectively at night.”
Arrive Alive concluded by mentioning that drivers should go for regular check-ups, “especially if they believe that they might experience symptoms of night blindness. The older a driver gets the more frequent these check-ups should be repeated.”
Compiled by Gypseenia Lion
