Driving relies on sight, so what happens when our sense of sight is impaired?
In the dark when our sight is limited, so is our driving ability. But we can’t limit our driving to daylight hours, especially during the winter months when it gets dark earlier. In the Nothern Hemisphere, it starts getting dark earlier at the end of June, and by October the sun is setting before 7:00 p.m. For many, this is also around the time Daylight Savings ends, reversing clocks one hour earlier.
Also at the end of October, Halloween is an annual celebration primarily celebrated after dark. It can be extra dangerous to drive on Halloween and around Daylight Savings; when we are staying awake later and changing our schedules, driving hazards increase.
Halloween
The scariest parts of Halloween should never take place behind the wheel. If you plan to drive on Halloween night, prepare yourself with these tips to keep everyone in and around your vehicle as safe as possible.
On Halloween there will likely be more pedestrians on the roads and in places where they are not expected. Slower speeds save lives.
If you are driving in a residential neighborhood, be on alert for trick-or-treaters walking door-to-door. Children tend to be unpredictable and may not know the dangers of moving vehicles, so drive slowly, keep your headlights on, and keep your ears and eyes especially open to pedestrians who may run or jump into the road without warning.
Hover your foot over the brake pedal to quicken your reaction time to stop. Wait for people to cross the road fully before proceeding slowly and with extreme caution.
Another way to improve your reaction time and save lives is to eliminate distractions. Put your cell phone away somewhere you won’t hear or see it while driving, and don’t play music or other audio that will take your mind off driving. If you have passengers in your car, remind them of the dangers of distracted driving and that they should be quiet and calm so you can focus on the task of driving.
If you plan to drink or take drugs on Halloween or any other day, do not plan to drive. Instead, designate a trusted person in your party to stay sober and safely drive everyone home, or arrange for a ride-sharing service, taxi, public transportation, or place to stay within walking distance. If you see a distracted or impaired driver, mentally note their license plate number and then when you are no longer driving, call the local authorities.
Daylight Savings Time
For those who live in a place that observes Daylight Savings Time, losing an hour of time in the Spring and adding an hour of time in the Fall comes with a set of changes and challenges. Even if you have lived with this schedule for many years, it is good to remain cognizant of the time change and how it can affect you.
The American Automobile Association (AAA) has estimated that 1 in 5 traffic fatalities in the US involves driver fatigue
Readjusting your schedule, especially your sleep schedule, can cause you to experience fatigue, headaches, and symptoms of depression and anxiety. Events that affect our health also affect our driving, because of the impact on our physical and mental abilities. Being tired can shorten our patience and cause us to feel irritated, unhappy, or even angry – which changes the way we drive. Angry drivers are more aggressive, take more risks and drive dangerously.
Decrease in alertness, reaction time and decision-making ability all have the potential to affect our health and safety and the health and safety of those around us while at work, on the road or at home.
Plan your schedule for that day ahead of time, adjusting for the time change as well as giving yourself ample buffer time in which to complete your typical activities - especially driving. Don’t rush while driving as this leads to unsafe behavior like tailgating, lane-hopping, harsh braking, and speeding, which do not save significant time on the road, but which do increase your risk of injury and death, as well as your chances of injuring or killing other road users.
Remember that driving is the most dangerous pursuit many of us undertake in a day and must be taken seriously. Unfortunately, it is not possible to only drive in perfect conditions, and so we must stay vigilant of the dangers around us, and the danger we pose to others.
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