Cherry Hill Car Accident Lawyers: Night Driving and Car Accidents

As winter approaches, days become shorter. Thus, more drivers are on the road during night hours. According to the National Safety Council (NSC), driving at night is more hazardous and leads to more car accidents and personal injuries.

Why Night Driving is More Hazardous

For various reasons, the risk of a car crash increases threefold at night. Aside from the obvious reason, namely reduced visibility, there are many other factors at play. Consider the top five factors which contribute to increased car accidents at night.

1. Darkness – Darkness reduces visibility. Yet for drivers who spend much of the year driving during daylight hours, making the adjustment is not so simple. Headlights on low-beam produce maximum visibility of 250 feet. If traveling at 70 mph, it takes about 103 feet to react and another 245 feet to stop. In other words, 348 feet are required to stop in an emergency situation—roughly 100 feet more than the visibility.
2. Rush hour – Rush hour in South Jersey lasts roughly from 4PM to 7PM. Starting with Daylight Savings, many drivers will be rushing home in the dark. Dangerous conditions added to impatient drivers creates the perfect mix for car accidents. Be wise and take your time. The few minutes saved is not worth the pain of injuries.
3. Night vision – As people age, nature takes a toll on night vision. A person who could see perfectly well last year may find that their ability to see in the dark is reduced this year. If faced with this problem, reduce speed along with distractions such as lighting inside the vehicle.
4. Fatigue – Many drivers today are fatigued. Long work hours and hectic schedules tend to cause many of us to fail getting the required seven-nine hours of rest. According to the NHTSA, roughly 100,000 wrecks result from driver fatigue nationwide. Resting is the only solution. If sleepy, pull over and take a nap.
5. Driver Impairments – Many drugs, both legal and illegal, impair the ability of drivers to safely operate a vehicle. However, studies by the NHTSA have revealed that such impairments increase as daylight decreases. When the sun goes down, some people party. As a result, an average of thirty fatalities per day are attributed to drunk driving.

Cherry Hill Car Accident Lawyers at DiTomaso Law Represent Injured Victims

Cherry Hill car accident lawyers at DiTomaso Law understand that this information will not prevent all night driving car accidents. We often have clients who did everything right, but were still involved in crashes caused by others. When this happens, we can help pursue compensation for your medical costs, loss of income, and more. If you have been involved in a car accident due to another person’s negligence, contact us online or call 856-414-0010 to arrange a free consultation.