Car Insurance News from Be Wiser

Night Driving Can Be Risky For Young Motorists

According to statistics young drivers double the risk of fatality or serious injury when driving at night.

One of the difficulties with driving in real darkness is the lack of perception. It may appear that modern headlights give very good illumination, however they are not as effective but there is a strong temptation to drive with the same attitude as in normal daytime visibility, increasing the number of accidents on UK roads.

Driving conditions are remarkably different in the night time, vision is reduced and it can be more difficult to see vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists.

Road casualty statistics show that 40% of collisions occur in the hours of darkness. The danger of falling asleep at the wheel is a significant factor at night and accounts for 20% of serious accidents on motorways and monotonous roads in Great Britain.

It takes time for the eyes to adjust to the darkness after being in a lit building or after driving on a well-lit road, and with the most obvious danger of night driving being decreased visibility - the distance a driver can see is shortened and so hazards can often seem to appear out of nowhere.

A shocking 40% of accidents involving young drivers which are fatal or results in serious injury happen between 11pm and 6am.

Despite representing only 10% of the driving population, young drivers are involved in over a quarter of all accidents where a driver is killed or injured at night.

Driving at night is a necessity and skill that needs to be learnt, for safety’s sake it is well worth young learner drivers practising driving at night to equip them with the knowledge of hazards they could face in order to minimise the number of accidents which happen when motorists drive in the dark.

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