Night driving tips and tricks for the St. John’s area
How can you stay safe while driving at night around St. John’s, NL? The main thing is using extra caution. Below, we’ll tell you what to keep an eye out for when you are driving at night in the St. John’s area.
Why is night driving more dangerous than driving in the daytime?
There are many road hazards that tend to make themselves more known at night. That is not to say that these things can’t happen during the day, just that they tend to become common at night. These are the things to watch out for while night driving:
- Animals that come out around dusk or nightfall. Many animals are active in the dark, and they are also harder to see. Look for the light reflected in animal eyes and keep an eye out on the sides of the road too.
- Fatigued or drunk drivers. The later it gets the more fatigued drivers that you will have on the road. Driving tired is dangerous and just as bad as driving distracted. Furthermore, if you are out after bar-close time, you may encounter a drunk driver. You should always be cautious around other vehicles, but even more so at night.
- Debris in the road. Roads are usually cleaned during the day, which means that more debris can build up at night such as slippery leaves, snow, roadkill, and other items that fall onto the road. These make for dangerous conditions, and we suggest slowing down when you can’t see the road ahead well, such as when you drive around a bend.
- Water that freezes as the temperature drops at night. While the roads may have seemed fine during the day, dropping temperatures at night mean that any puddles will freeze. Seeing ice is difficult, and even harder to do if snow or leaves cover it.
