Lightbug Sport: How to Prevent Night Accidents

Learn a few safety tips for nighttime.

Give this a thought: during nighttime, traffic on the roads decreases by about 60%, meaning there are fewer cars out there, yet most fatal car accidents occur after the sun goes down. The reason for this can be a mix of several factors and reasons. The main reason being the lack of sunlight. The sun is what provides us with the strongest source of natural light. There is just no man-made light capable of imitating the power of the sun.

People have invented plenty of ways to keep the roads safe for both pedestrians and cars at night. We have all sorts of artificial lights illuminating our streets, we have reflective signs and paint on the roads, and the headlights in our cars can now reach over 300 feet away. But the sudden switch from low light situations to higher is quite difficult to our eyes. Our pupils dilate in low light and contract when in bright space. This creates a time of adjustment. During the time of the switch, we’re either too sensitive to light or not able to perceive enough of it.

This change can happen at night when we look at our dim-lighted dashboard and then into the bright incoming traffic. This creates a window of opportunity for disaster to happen. It only takes a couple of seconds to crash a car and kill someone. All of this, and also the fact that most cities have zones that are better lit than others. The downtown area of a city will always be more illuminated than the suburbs. So, for both drivers and pedestrians, going out at night requires some precautions in order to avoid accidents. We’re going to name some tips for both starting with cars:

Keep your distance from other cars: Whenever you’re driving at night and you have a car in front of you, try to keep a good distance from it. You don’t know what could cause the car ahead of you to suddenly hit the breaks so you will be better off by keeping a buffer zone between the two vehicles just in case.
Keep your dashboard lights at just the right brightness: Too dim and you’ll have difficulty seeing it and will be easily flashed by oncoming traffic. Too bright and the contrast with the darkness outside will cause you to lose visibility.
Keep your windshield and windows clean: Dirty windshields create more glare from traffic headlights, decreasing your level of visibility. Plus, dirty glass is harder to see through.
Avoid distractions: It’s hard enough to drive in low light situations forcing your eyes to work at 110% without your brain being entirely there too. With lower vision, your reflex response time also lowers, so it is in your best interest that you keep all of your focus on the road ahead. Avoid loud music, heated conversations, or using your cell phone while driving at night.

Now let’s go over some safety tips for pedestrians. Whether they go out at night to workout or just take a walk, here’s some things they should consider doing.

Avoid dark places. Whenever you’re outside at night, you might want to avoid walking along dark or poorly lit roads as much as possible. That’s just putting yourself in unnecessary danger.
Wear some kind of reflective gear. If you’re going out at night and you’ll be walking close to a road, you might want to make yourself as visible as possible. Wearing reflective gear will make cars notice you from a good distance and will help prevent fatal accidents.
Stay alert and avoid distractions. Even if you’re wearing reflective clothes, you should still be alert at all times of what’s going on around you, especially when walking close to a road.
Cross the roads at the correct intersections. If you have to cross a road, do it properly and where you’re supposed to. Cars don’t expect to bump into a pedestrian in the middle of a highway.

Avoiding and preventing accidents at night is a work for both drivers and pedestrians. Staying healthy and safe is what Lightbug Sports is all about. They have the best sports gear for all your athletic needs, from shoes to shirts and even accessories. Plus, all of their products are made from light-reflecting materials designed to keep you safe and visible even in low light situations.