Fall and Night Driving Safety Tips
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Helpful safety tips for fall and night driving from John Myre's SAFETY TIMES NEWSLETTER
Fall driving presents a variety of obstacles, and more drivers die from September through November than during the winter months of December through February. Slick roads, foggy mornings, and roaming wildlife are just some of the increased hazards. You must also contend with less daylight and morning and evening sun glare.
1. Clean and check your headlights regularly. Headlight dirt or misalignment can reduce the distance a driver can detect objects at night by about thirty percent.
2. Get your headlights aligned during a regular maintenance stop. If you can't get to a technician, the National Safety Council suggests the following steps:
-You need 35-40 feet of flat or constantly sloped driveway.
-Shine your low beams on a garage door two to three feet away.
-Outline the bright spots with a soft pencil or tape.
-Back the car about 25 feet from the door. The top of the low beams should shine no higher than the top of the marks on the door or lower than the center of the marked circle. If you have two headlights, the high beams are also aimed.
-If you have four headlights, aim the low beams first. Adjust the high beams until the center of the high is at the top of the low beam.
3. To minimize the glare problems at sunrise and sunset, use your visor, and wear sunglasses if necessary. Never wear sunglasses or tinted glasses at night. Also:
4. Be wary of drivers who are driving into a glare at your back. Give yourself plenty of room to come to a controlled stop.
5. Turn on your headlights whenever you wonder if it's dark enough to use headlights. It will help you see and be seen.