Some drivers like to drive at night because it seems there are fewer drivers on the road. Sometimes you experience enjoyable solitude. It can feel as if you have the road to yourself.
But along with the calming effect the darkness can bring, the night also presents vision challenges.
All humans experience dilating pupils from darkness. Our pupils dilate to let in light, which helps us see at night. However, as our pupils dilate, our ability to see colors shrinks and we see more blacks and whites, which makes it tougher to distinguish shapes and sizes.
You also need to guard against sudden onsets of light. Too much light in a dilated eye creates the instinct to close, cover or protect your eyes.
Tips to consider while driving at night:
- Dim the lights on your dashboard and turn off all overhead interior lights.
- Adjust your rearview mirror so headlights from behind will not reflect directly at your eyes.
- If someone approaches you with their high beams on, look to the right at the edge of the road. Avoid looking into the oncoming bright headlights.
- Be aware of “eyes” on the side of the road, as in animal eyes. Your headlights will alert you to animal eyes if you’re watching for the two round reflections.
- Ensure your headlights are clean and aimed properly. Avoid driving with foggy misaligned headlights.
- Clean your windshield with newspaper so there is no streaking.
It will help to understand a couple more phenomena that occur to our vision at night. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology ((AAO), many people are more nearsighted at night so objects do not appear as clearly or sharply as they would in the daylight. Darkness also diminishes our depth perception and peripheral vision.
These all point to the same thing—you have may trouble seeing objects and lights at night. Seems normal, right? It is normal and it’s wise to take caution when driving at night.
Happy trails,
Brian
