Night
Vision
No
one can see as well at night as
in
the daytime. But as
we get older these differences increase.
A
50-year-old
driver may require at least twice as much light to see the
same thing at night as a 20-year-old.
What you do in the daytime can also affect your night
vision. For example, if you spend the day in bright
sunshine you
are
wise to wear sunglasses. Your eyes will
have less trouble adjusting to night. But if you’re
driving, don‘t wear sunglasses at night. They may cut
down on glare from headlamps, but they also make a lot
of things invisible.
You
can be temporarily blinded by approaching
headlamps. It can take a second or two, or
even
several
seconds, for your eyes
to
readjust to the dark. When
you are faced with severe glare (as from a driver who
doesn’t lower the high beams, or a vehicle with
misaimed headlamps), slow down a little. Avoid staring
directly into the approaching headlamps.
Keep your windshield and all the glass on your vehicle
clean
--
inside
and
out. Glare at night is made much
worse by dirt on the glass. Even the inside
of
the glass
can build up a film caused by dust. Dirty glass makes
lights dazzle and flash more than clean glass would,
making the pupils
of
your eyes contract repeatedly.
Remember that your headlamps light up far less of a
roadway when you are in a
turn
or curve. Keep your
eyes moving; that way, it’s easier to pick out dimly
lighted objects. Just as your headlamps should be
checked regularly for proper aim,
so
should your eyes
be examined regularly.
Some
drivers suffer from night
blindness
--
the inability to see in dim light
--
and
aren’t even aware of it.
4-17
To Next Page
Loading...
