Driving in the dark is dangerous for a number of reasons, which is why you have to be especially careful. For one thing, when you drive at night or when it is dark out, it is more difficult to see things versus when you are driving during the daytime. There are all sorts of animals and other creatures that are nocturnal and come out at night time. Also, depending on the area that you live in, you may have to deal with more types of animals haphazardly crossing the road in front of your car. For example, if you live on back roads or in a heavily wooded area, animals may be a problem that you have to look out for while driving.
In addition to living in a heavily wooded area, people who are moving into newly built homes also have to worry about animals crossing the roadways before their cars just as much, if not more than other people. For instance, in certain areas of North Carolina where there has been a population explosion, people have to now worry about their vehicles colliding with animals who have been recently displaced by all of the construction in the area. There are also animals that tend to sneak up to people s houses in new developments and eat food out of the garbage bins for the same reason. Therefore, it is highly advisable for new home owners to make sure that their garbage is secured at all times.
Driving in a dark also takes a toll on you as you grow older. For example, my 78 year old grandmother no longer likes to drive at night because she claims that it makes her nervous. It s not a matter of her vision no longer being good (because her vision is excellent). Rather, it is the fact that she doesn t really trust her judgment. She s afraid that someone will hit her or that she ll miss a turn and get lost in the dark, etc. Therefore, whenever I am out to visit her, we always make sure that we do what we have to do during the day. If we eat dinner at a restaurant during the winter months, we do it at an earlier time such as 5:00 p.m. so that we don t have to worry about coming out of the restaurant and driving while it is still dark out. In the rare event that we have something to attend at night (like a function), then I will drive us so that she doesn t have to worry about driving.
No matter if you are young or if you are old, driving while it is dark outside is a problem for a lot of people because when things aren t illuminated, you simply cannot see as clearly as you normally would. This is why it is always best to use your better judgment while driving. Slow down, take turns a little easier. Constantly look around you and use your high beams when it is necessary. Also, make sure that you turn off any sort of electrical devices in your car that can distract you from what you are doing while you are driving.