The dangers of driving at night
When driving on Illinois roads at night, drivers may face a unique set of hazards that could result in a car accident. In order to stay as safe as possible, drivers should be aware of some of the potential issues that they may face when the sun goes down.
At night, all drivers have a harder time seeing the road due to decreased visibility. The lack of daylight often makes it difficult to see road signs, pedestrians, cyclists and even other drivers. It can also make it difficult to gauge the distance between other vehicles. Some drivers could also suffer from night blindness, a condition that makes it even more difficult for these drivers to see hazards at night. Drivers who suffer from night vision may have poor peripheral vision and may even have trouble with their central vision.
Some drivers may also have more trouble driving at night due to getting older. For example, the National Safety Council noted that a driver who is 50 may need twice as much light to see as well as a driver who is 30. Drunk drivers also become a major hazard at night as more individuals go out drinking during the evening and nighttime hours.
Even when drivers take precautions at night to reduce the potential risk of becoming involved in a car accident, a distracted, drunk or negligent driver could still cause an accident by failing to use their headlights, driving too closely or driving too fast for the road conditions. If a driver suffers serious injuries in an accident that occurs at night, a personal injury attorney may investigate the accident and provide proof that the other driver was liable for causing the accident. The attorney may negotiate with the insurance company to obtain compensation for medical costs and other damages or litigate.