You’ve obviously heard the old phrase “Blind as a bat” at least once in your life. I never quite understood what it meant until I noticed that driving at night has become a bit more of a challenge. The glare from oncoming cars, rain, sleet and unfamiliar territory can all be overwhelming and lead to potentially serious and dangerous situations.
The human eye wasn’t made to see well in the dark and unlike bats, we don’t have a radar system. There are several factors that can affect your nighttime driving abilities. Having dry eyes can make driving at night more difficult. Just keep in mind that our depth perception, clear vision and color recognition is impaired due to the cover of darkness.
If you have problems at night, here are 6 crazy ways to see better while driving at night:
Nice and Slow
It may sound simple, but sometimes the simplest ideas work the best. To drive safer at night, allow your eyes to adjust to the darkness before you put it in drive and head out. Close your eyes for a moment and before you long your pupils have opened up so that you can get the most light to enter. The more light you let into your eyes, the better your vision will be.
Cut the Glare
One of the worst situations is getting blinded by oncoming traffic. Even on a low beam, headlights can cause issues. The best way to avoid headlight blindness is to look at the bottom right side of the road. You can also cut the glare from cars behind you by flipping your rearview mirror’s night setting and deflect the light away.
Keep a Dark Interior
I’ve never been a person who uses interior lights while driving, but for those who do, turn them off. Any interior light you use inside your running vehicle will seem brighter and causes glare. Keeping your interior dark, makes it a bit easier to see outside and around you.
Slow and Steady
Since the human eye isn’t really made for nighttime viewing, many of us have a harder time judging traffic and seeing potential risks while driving. By just reducing your driving speed you are more likely to react faster in the event that you come upon something in or on the road in front of you. When it comes to being safe, slow and steady wins the race.
Car Care
There is nothing more frightening than having car problems at night. To keep you safe and secure, make sure to keep your car in good running order. Check fluid levels, like oil and brake fluids topped up. Make sure your tires are in good shape and that you have working lights. Keep your windows and mirrors clean both inside and out.
Vision Aids
An inexpensive way to cut down on glare and help you drive and see better in the dark are night time vision aids. One product I found is As Seen on TV product available at Carol Wright Store, Night View Glasses. They are yellow coated lenses that block nighttime glare. What I found out is that they are tinted yellow to block out blue light which seems to be the issue that caused some nighttime glare and viewing difficulties.
Night Time Glasses helps clear up the nighttime viewing issues and allows you to see more clearly at night. They are helpful in all sorts of conditions including rain and snow. You can definitely check out this product from As Seen on TV or find out about other brands available. Either way, nighttime visual aids are a great way to reduce glare and keep you safer in the process.
