Driving Late At Night? Take The Most Direct Route.

Late night New Haven auto accidents are generally the most common types of accidents that happen. There are a variety of reasons for this which include alcohol and drug impaired driving, drowsy driving and the decreased visibility that comes with driving late at night. Drivers who are behind the wheel in these states are often among the most dangerous to encounter any time of the day, but you are much more likely to encounter someone who is experiencing these states late at night.

There are a couple of reasons for this, let’s take them one at a time.

1.) Driving while impaired by alcohol or drugs. There is a far greater risk of running into someone who has been drinking or doing drugs in the evening hours, especially the late evening hours. This is especially true on the weekends as parties and bars stay open well into the early morning hours of the next day and those who are spending their time there often leave these venues after a long, full evening of alcohol or drug use. Therefore, many of these drivers will have a significant amount of alcohol or drugs in their system as they attempt to get home for the night.

2.) It likely goes without saying, but driving while drowsy can happen at any time of the day, however it is most common late at night. Microsleeps, where a driver closes her/his eyes for a split second but loses a significant amount of vision on the road, can be quite dangerous and occur most often during the evening hours when it is dark and your body is accustomed to sleeping. While early morning drivers may also face drowsy driving, it is most common with those who are driving late into the night as their body prepares them to sleep for the night.

3.) Lower visibility can become a problem at night. Headlights shining in your direction can cause glare and difficulty seeing the road in front of you. Along with the headlight glare you may be experiencing, the evening is when fog often develops, especially in the spring, as the road temperature is often colder then the air temperature and this can cause serious difficulty for drivers who experience low visibility and have difficulty seeing the road ahead. If visibility gets too bad you should absolutely pull over to the side of the road until you have a better line of sight.

In fact, at night, if you are experiencing any of the things above you should pull safely off of the road and park somewhere until the alcohol/drugs wear off, you can get a quick nap in to get yourself more alert and ready to drive or the fog lifts. If you are the one on the road who is in one of these states you could be putting other drivers and vehicles that are on the road at risk.

However, if you are hitting the road for a drive late at night due to a late night gathering, your commute or any other reason and you are not experiencing any of the stated situations you will want to do your best to get off the road as fast as you possibly can. There is no way to avoid drivers who are drunk or drowsy or otherwise, but you can do your very best to take the most direct route to your destination and limit your time on the road during peak hours when these activities may be happening. A general rule of thumb is to avoid driving, if you can, from 10pm to 5am the next morning. If you’re able to do this you will be putting yourself in a good position to avoid a New Haven auto accident.

If you do have to be on the road at night, always use caution and make sure you are following all of the posted rules of the road and the laws of your local town or city. If you are doing your part to be safe late at night on the road, that is half the battle.

Injuries do happen and when an accident occurs there may be physical injury as well as personal property damage and you may need to speak with an attorney who has experience dealing with situations where both things occur. Contact our office and one of our experienced attorneys will review your situation and work with you to protect your long-term interests.