{"id":7679,"date":"2023-11-28T14:40:10","date_gmt":"2023-11-28T14:40:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.scrapcarnetwork.org\/news\/?p=7679"},"modified":"2025-02-26T06:42:27","modified_gmt":"2025-02-26T06:42:27","slug":"5-safety-critical-tips-for-driving-in-the-dark","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.scrapcarnetwork.org\/news\/5-safety-critical-tips-for-driving-in-the-dark\/","title":{"rendered":"5 safety-critical tips for driving in the dark"},"content":{"rendered":"

The clocks have already been back for some time now, so if you\u2019ve been spending a lot of time out on the roads already, you\u2019ve probably had a fair bit of practice at driving in the dark. Even for the most experienced of us though, it can still be a quite daunting experience, especially on particularly busy highways \u2013 and it can be all too easy to end up having an accident that causes you to realise: I need to scrap my car<\/strong><\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To help you stave off a situation like that, here are our four top tips for driving in the dark. Stay safe out there!<\/p>\n

Check your lights<\/h2>\n

This is the most obvious one, as strong, functioning lights can make all the difference to your visibility on the roads, and how well you\u2019re able to spot (and react to) static or moving obstacles. Crucially, they can also make all the difference to other road users seeing you. Dim or non-functioning rear lights, for example, can put you in danger of being rear-ended by other motorists whose lights won\u2019t pick you out until way too late. A single non-functioning light can also open up the possibility of someone mistaking your car as a motorcycle, and treating you accordingly \u2013 which again, can lead to accidents. Don\u2019t risk it \u2013 get your lights checked!<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t drive tired<\/h2>\n

Statistically, quite a lot of us underestimate exactly how dangerous driving tired can be. The effects of being drunk and overly tired are very similar too \u2013 both conditions can slow reaction times, and affect both alertness and decision-making.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Police statistics show that fatigue contributes to about 4% of fatal road crashes and 2% of all collisions. There were almost 1700 fatal collisions in 2022 alone, which means that 68 people died because someone was tired. Now, 68 deaths is a horrifying amount whatever the situation, but in the cold world of statistics, it may seem like a relatively small number.<\/p>\n

To give further context, those same police statistics show that fatigue contributes to 2% of all road crashes in Britain. There are 126,250 road accidents in the UK each year, so that works out to about 346 each day. Tiredness is estimated to be involved in about 5050 of those total crashes, which works out to about 13 crashes, every single day.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s also worth noting that these estimates are probably massive underestimations, partially because driving tired is not a specific crime in itself, police can\u2019t test for tiredness (although you can be charged for driving without due care and attention).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The charity Brake estimates that between 10% and 20% of all road crashes are fatigue-related. Many of these tend to be on the motorways and often happen at high speed, mostly because tired drivers don\u2019t react fast enough on the brakes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

All this can be summed up in three simple words: get enough sleep!<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t stare at oncoming vehicles<\/h2>\n

Another peril of driving on the motorway is that your mind can start to wander, and when that happens, it can sometimes be all too easy to find yourself staring into the headlights of oncoming vehicles. That can be an excellent way to get yourself accidentally dazzled (especially if they\u2019ve got their high beams on), and that can then affect your own visibility and reaction times.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Occasionally, this might be unavoidable \u2013 you may need to look at an oncoming car to work out what it\u2019s doing for example, or someone might come up behind you with their high beams on. But if that\u2019s ever happened to you, you\u2019ll already know how much it can affect your vision \u2013 and how easy it can be to crash as a result.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Keep your windows clean<\/h2>\n

This is one that lots of people tend to underestimate, but it\u2019s just as important as keeping your lights in good condition, as we detailed above. After all, lights in peerless condition do you no good at all if you can\u2019t properly see out of the windows.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It also compounds issues around headlight beams from oncoming cars \u2013 they can cause what\u2019s called \u201cincident light beam diffusion\u201d. Essentially, when light (natural or otherwise) hits dirt, oil, soap residue, or general debris on your windscreen, it causes the light to refract, causes glare and makes your windscreen harder to see out of. Ultimately, that means that a car passing in front of you at quite some distance could end up affecting your immediate visibility, which can boost your chances of having a crash \u2013 especially on high speeds on the motorway. It might seem a bit of a pain, but it\u2019s at least one good reason why you should always keep your washer fluid topped up, and a spare rag handy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Watch out for vulnerable road users<\/h2>\n

Vulnerable road users always need to be a priority at any time of year, but they\u2019re notoriously more difficult to see in winter, especially after dark. If you\u2019re lucky (and they\u2019re sensible), cyclists will be wearing proper gear and high-vis clothing, but let\u2019s be honest, that\u2019s not always the case. Pedestrians often won\u2019t be wearing any of that gear whatever the weather, so you\u2019ll need to be particularly careful in built-up urban areas, as well as around facilities like schools.<\/p>\n

Country roads, meanwhile, have their own dangers \u2013 you\u2019ll need to watch out for animals suddenly darting out in front of you, especially in areas where nocturnal creatures are active. If in doubt, always take a few digits off your top speed. The person behind you might not always be terribly happy about it, but your right to safety trumps their right to convenience. You\u2019ll never want to end up in a collision that causes you to decide \u2013 I need to scrap my car.<\/p>\n

Ideally, you\u2019ll be able to run it to the end of its natural lifespan instead.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Whatever the circumstances though, when your old motor reaches the end of its life, you can always count on us to help here at Scrap Car Network. With more than 40 years of experience behind us, we\u2019ve refined our process to make sure it\u2019s never been easier to scrap your car. All you need to do is\u00a0enter your car reg and postcode<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>into the fields on our site, and we\u2019ll have your scrap car quote to you in seconds. So\u2026 curious to find out how much your car is worth?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The clocks have already been back for some time now, so if you\u2019ve been spending a lot of time out on the roads already, you\u2019ve probably had a fair bit of practice at driving in the dark. Even for the most experienced of us though, it can still be a quite daunting experience, especially on […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":113,"featured_media":7685,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[16],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n