Night-Driving Safety Tips for Truckers
Long-haul truckers spend a great deal of time on the road, which can often mean that their schedules necessitate driving at night. It may be that time is of the essence and there’s no other option or that darkness has fallen early due to it being winter. Either way, following the best safety practices while driving at night can help to keep you and other motorists safe on the highways and interstates you travel.
DeBary Truck Sales is your Florida truck dealer, located in Sanford. We want to help you stay safe on the highway however we can, so we’ve drawn up this list of safety tips for driving your truck at night.
1. Don’t Drive Tired
This tip may seem obvious, but it can be hard to remember and to internalize when you’re stressed out and on a deadline. Fatigue is the most common reason why drivers have accidents at night, and studies by the National Safety Council have shown that driving on very little sleep is as bad as having a blood-alcohol level over the legal limit.
Try to get a full night’s sleep every night that you can on the road. Cool, dark rooms with earplugs and no distractions will help you to sleep best. Lower your caffeine intake and avoid using it in the evening. If you smoke, cut down or try to quit because nicotine has a stimulating effect. If you’re ever driving and find yourself shutting your eyes for a few seconds at a time, known as “microsleeping,” you should immediately pull over and let yourself rest, even if you fall behind. Your safety is much more important than making a deadline.
2. Keep Your Windshield Clean
Not being able to see at night can increase the risk that you’ll experience an accident. Streaks, dead bugs, dirt and water spots can all increase glare and make it a challenge to see. Use glass cleaning products to thoroughly clean the inside and outside of your windshield regularly. Make sure that your windshield-wiper fluid is always topped up and that you have some extra in your truck. Replace wiper blades when they begin to drag and don’t pick up all the water.
3. Avert Your Gaze From Oncoming Traffic
The brilliant headlights of oncoming traffic can make it really hard to see and can cause you to see afterimages that temporarily obscure your vision. Keep your eyes averted away from the glare by looking down and to the right or moving your eyes to avoid bright lights.
4. Remove Distractions
We’ve all been distracted while driving and it’s never good. Becoming bored or tired can make you more easily distracted by a text-message alert, a song you don’t like on the radio or something you see on the side of the road that makes you look away from the path ahead.
To minimize distractions, put your phone into airplane mode while driving and only look at it when you’re parked somewhere. Choose your radio station, CD or podcast wisely before you start driving so you don’t have to try to find something else to listen to before your next break. Adjust the air temperature in your cab so that you’re comfortable. Make sure to stop and have something to eat or drink if you’re hungry or thirsty so that these feelings don’t nag at you.
5. Be On The Lookout For Drunk Drivers
Intoxicated drivers are another major cause of nighttime traffic accidents, due to their loss of focus, unpredictable behavior and risky maneuvers. Drunk drivers will tend to be on the road between midnight and 2 AM because of bar closing hours, so be especially careful at these times. If you see any driver speeding up, driving too slowly, veering in and out of traffic or making sudden maneuvers, fall as far behind them as possible and keep an eye on their movements. You can also pull over and report them to local police.
Ready to check out some trucks for sale in Florida? Browse our website or come by our Sanford, FL, dealership today to take a look at our fine selection of new and used trucks for sale. Our sales staff will be more than happy to answer any questions you may have. DeBary Truck Sales proudly serves all of our Florida customers as well as those of you coming from the Atlanta, GA, metropolitan area.