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
headlights, but they also make
a
lot
of
things invisible.
You
can be temporarily blinded by approaching lights. 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 headlights), slow &wn
a
little. Avoid
staring directly into
the
approaching lights.
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 headlights 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 headlights 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.
Driving in
the
Rain
Rain and wet roads can mean driving trouble. On
a
wet road you can’t stop,
accelerate or turn
as
well because your tire-to-road traction isn’t
as
good
as
on dry roads. And, if your tires don’t have much tread left, you’ll get even
4-26
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