Driving after dusk — how to do it safely?

In the autumn and winter season, days become shorter and shorter. This means that if we drive a car, most of the time we spend behind the wheel is after it gets dark.

Driving after dusk is more dangerous than during the day. Why? When it is dark, we have limited visibility. We are less likely to see pedestrians, cyclists, and various road obstacles, especially when it is raining. Additionally, the roads may be insufficiently lit, which is why drivers should be particularly careful.

Rules for safe driving after dusk

1. Have your eyes regularly tested.
   Have regular examinations of your eyes and your visual acuity. A diagnosed and properly corrected vision defect guarantees a much safer drive.
2. Make sure your headlights are clean and working properly.
   Remember to clean the headlights and taillights of your car. Check the light bulbs regularly. Control the headlights’ adjustment – position them in such a way that they illuminate the road well.
3. Clean the windscreen and other car windows regularly.
   Dirty windscreens and windows cause light reflections and negatively affect visibility on the roads.
4. Keep a proper distance from the car in front of you.
   In the dark, it is much more difficult to assess the speed and distance of the vehicle in front of us. Remember to keep an adequate distance from the car in front of you.
5. Do not look straight into the headlights of the oncoming vehicles.
   If an oncoming car does not turn off the long lights, avoid looking directly at them. This can lead to temporary blinding and thus cause an accident. It will be helpful to focus your eyes, for example, on the right edge of the road.
6. Take regular breaks during a long night drive.
   If you are planning to drive a long distance at night, remember to make regular stops and do a few exercises. A short nap is also a good solution if you feel really tired.

Vision defect and driving after dusk

• Remember to wear glasses or contact lenses when you drive.
  If you require vision correction, make sure you apply it while driving. Drivers with an uncorrected vision defect are a danger on the road. Blurred vision reduces orientation in the field and slows down the reaction of the person driving the vehicle. This can lead to an accident.
• If you wear contact lenses, make sure your eyes are lubricated.
  When driving a car, we focus on the road, thus we blink less often, and this in turn affects the operation of the tear film. There is a feeling of sand under the eyelids because both the eyes and the contact lenses need hydration. This situation may worsen visual acuity.
  Air conditioning and central heating contribute to eye dryness. If you absolutely must use them, try to direct the air stream away from the face area so that it does not affect the hydration of the eyes/lenses. Take breaks on the road and apply moisturizing eye drops (so-called artificial tears).

Are you tired of wearing contact lenses or glasses? Laser vision correction is a wonderful idea! It is also a perfect solution for professional drivers who need better visual acuity. Do you have doubts as to whether you are an eligible candidate for the surgery? Make an appointment for a preliminary qualifying examination or a one-day procedure by submitting a filled-in online preliminary qualification form.

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