When I first learned to drive I was taught in the dark. I took driving lessons during the winter months. The instructor would come to my home very early in the morning before school started. I would take my driving class then get dropped off at school afterwards. It was always dark when I first got int the car. I think that is why I have always been OK driving at night where as others have less confidence when it comes to night driving.
Everyone in my family (parents, siblings) consider themselves “night blind”. They simply have a difficult time seeing at night when they are driving. Don’t get me wrong – they are not unsafe drivers. They are excellent drivers. They just dislike driving at night because it bothers their eyes.
With daylight savings time just around the corner more drivers are going to find themselves driving in the dark whether it’s their morning or evening commutes. With reduced visibility there is a greater increase in traffic accidents. That can put more stress on a driver who already feels uncomfortable driving in the dark.
Check out this interesting infographic about night driving.
There are some thing you can do to help reduce your stress when it comes to night driving.
- Make sure your car is in good working order especially your tires and breaks.
- Don’t drive alone.
- Know where you are going. If you are traveling some where you are unfamiliar make sure you memorize the map and know exactly where you need to go.
- Try to avoid back roads, especially ones that have a lot of twists and turns.
- Make sure you are well rested (NEVER drive when you are tired).
- Don’t drink and drive.
- If you truly get stressed out when it comes to night time driving to avoid driving in the dark all together. Leave for work a little later if possible, or leave for your commute home a little earlier that way you can drive in more light than darkness.
Did you know that traffic accidents are three times greater driving at night versus during the day? This includes both low light and dark driving conditions.
Vision issues related to driving at night or low light conditions fall into three main categories.
- Low light – Harder for your eyes to distinguish contrast and gauge objects and accurate distance.
- Glare disability and recovery – Harder to see in glare from oncoming headlights and takes longer for eyes to adjust after glare.
- Reaction Time – Harder to react quickly and make safe decisions – 90 percent of a drivers reaction time depends on vision.
For me the glare from oncoming headlights is often an issue. If your windshield is dirty it can only make matter worse (always keep your windshield clean). If you wear glasses make sure they are clean and your prescription is up to date too.
A recent survey shows that 40 percent of drivers over the age of 40 are anxious driving at night and one in four drivers feel unsafe due to glare.
I’m over 40 (blah!).
Sometimes people have a hard time driving at night not due to experience but more so eye health.
Research has shown that an effective solution to the issues associated with night driving is due to your eye health. Nutrition has a significant impact on visual performance, specifically the nutrients zeaxanthin and lutein. I have heard of lutein before. It’s found in carrots (which is probably why my mom always made me eat my carrots). Actually kale, spinach and Swiss chard have more lutein than carrots.
A product from a company called EyePromise can help improve night driving safety. It’s called EyePromise vizual EDGE. It’s a vitamin regiment that can help reduce the glare you see and improve your recovery time when you experience glare in about 90 days.
EyePromise is a line of natural eye health supplements featuring the nutrients zeaxanthin and lutein. These ingredients are scientifically proven to help you see better and react faster–important skills when driving at night in low-light conditions.
Here is a little more information about EyePromise vizual EDGE.
Scientific studies reveal that nutrition has a significant impact on visual performance, specifically the nutrients zeaxanthin and lutein. Zeaxanthin and lutein are carotenoids that make up the macular pigment—the area of the eye responsible for protecting vision. Trace amounts can be found in foods like leafy greens, corn, eggs and red, orange and yellow peppers, but, since it is difficult to get enough in the American diet, optometrists recommend a nutritional supplement like EyePromise vizual EDGE.
EyePromise vizual EDGE™features the highest levels of dietary zeaxanthin on the market and has been scientifically proven to improve night driving visual performance, including improving contrast, reducing glare sensitivity and reducing glare recovery time.
It sounds like a great product. And if it can help improve night driving safety I’m all for it. I personally haven’t tried the product yet but I am going to receive some samples to try out. I look at it this way, I take supplements for other aspects of my health, so why not take supplements that support my eye health too?
EyePromise also has some great tips when it comes to nigh driving.
- Make sure your windshield and headlights are clean
- Drive slower in low-light condition
- Leave more distance between cars
- Use “night” setting on interior rearview mirror
- Always have a flashlight inside your car in case of emergency
- Schedule regular eye exams to monitor for vision issues
If you would like more information about eye health and night driving please visit www.EyePromise.com/NightDrivingVision. You can also find EyePromise on Facebook and Twitter (@EyePromise_ZV). You can also check out the hashtag #NightDriving.
THE GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED. THE WINNERS HAVE BEEN CHOSEN.
EyePromise would like to offer THREE (3) lucky readers a special Night Driving Confidence Kit. Each kit includes a flashlight/emergency tool, headlight/windshield cleaning cloth and a coupon for a discount on EyePromise vizual EDGE, among other items. Thank you EyePromise.
This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only and will end on November 10, 2014 at 11:59 PM (EST). The winners will be chosen at random using a random number generator from all eligible entries. The winners will be notified via e-mail and will have three days to reply or a new winner will be chosen in their place.
To enter please comment on this post and tell me how your vision affects your confidence when driving at night?
For extra entries you can use the Rafflecopter widget (below) but you must complete the initial entry requirement or the additional entries wont’ qualify (I do check). Extra entries are optional.
Kimberly
*I have partnered with EyePromise and Blog Meets Brand to bring you this information/giveaway. Although compensated the opinions expressed are entirely my own and not influenced in any way. EyePromise is providing the prize packages.
Selene M. says
My night vision is very bad so I don’t drive at night.
Tricia G says
It has gotten so bad I am too scared to drive to local sporting events.
luci says
My night vision was really awful, I hated driing at night. Then I was diagnosed (at 35) with cataracts. Got the surgery, and now I can see a spider on the wall at 200 feet and driving at night is a breeze.
Denise S says
My vision is horrible at night and I don’t do it unless I have to.
elizabeth p says
I’m starting to see tracers at night so I’m driving a little slower
Leela says
It’s bad enough to give me migraines.
carol irwin says
great practical,useful prize!
Gayle J says
I don’t drive at night because of poor night vision
Vicki Wurgler says
my night vision is bad-so I do not drive at night
Cindy Merrill says
My husband doesn’t drive at night if it’s at all possible.
Maryann D. says
I do not see well at night or in the dark. I even purchased another pair of eyeglasses to wear over my contact lenses to try to see better. I see a lot of glare and it does make me nervous driving.
Amy Pratt says
My vision has gotten worse with age, so there is a lot of glare when I drive at night.
Linda Szymoniak says
I attend several events with my daughter every year – she sells her art and books and I go to help, including helping to drive. We typically drive all night going and coming back, since if we paid for motels both ways, it would cut into her income too much. However, as I’ve gotten older, I have found I’m having more issues with night driving than I did when I was younger. I do make sure my glasses and windshield are clean and in case of rain, make sure my wiper blades are in good condition so they clear the windshield completely. When driving through the night, we make frequent stops – just to stretch our legs and give my eyes a break. My daughter does help with the driving, but I try to do most of it so she’s more rested for the events.
Virginia Rowell says
My eyesight is very bad and I try to avoid driving at night. Other people’s headlights are a nightmare to me.
Betty says
Glare is a common issue for me when night driving. While I do everything to minimize glare issues, there seems to be more drivers who wait till the last second to dim their lights. It baffles me as dimming lights is not a complicated process. Totally I would be interested in trying this product to enhance my glare recovery time. I’m aware of the dangers and minimize the times I’m out driving at night. .
I just wish tech guys would engineer auto dimming so the newer cars would have their computer specs dim car lights at a safe distance.
D Schmidt says
It definitely makes me anxious about driving at night, I also worry about other drivers on the road.
Jessica To says
I try to avoid driving at night because I pick up a lot of glares in the road. I especially don’t like it when it is raining.
Sharon Rooney says
Since I have gotten older I do not do a lot of night driving, especially in unfamiliar areas. The headlight glare is really bad and reading street signs is always a challenge.
Tari Lawson says
Driving at night is more difficult for me than driving during the day. The glare on my windshield and glasses makes it difficult to see at times.
Jamie W says
My eyes are super sensitive to light so I have a hard time at night.. I do better now that I drive an SUV because most headlights don’t hit me in the face but I still get nervous.
June S. says
I have had this problem with night driving for many years now, the glare really drives me crazy. I hardly ever drive anywhere at night anymore-
Kimberly Schotz says
I notice as I have gotten older that my eyes hurt after driving at night.
beth shepherd says
My vision at night is not at its best, so I try not to drive at that time. If I do, I hand the keys over to my husband. Thank you
erica best says
i hate driving at night i stuck to side streets at night less car
Michele P says
I try not to drive at night anymore especially when the roads are wet or it is raining because I don’t see as well as I used to in the past. I don’t see well with the glare of oncoming headlights either.
Nancy says
All the tips are great to help support our night vision so it is the best it can be for careful driving.
darby says
We have no streetlights out here-it gets DARK at night!
Michele says
I notice the changes in my night driving as I get older. I have problems where we live sometimes. People use their brights on a regular basis. Some of the drivers don’t dim their lights when they pass. This causes a serious glare and it makes it hard to see.
Donna K says
I drive slower at night and prefer to drive during the day.
danielle Marie says
my vision itself is terrible, sensitive to light and need newer glasses. i also work nights so driving home is a gamble.
Erica B. says
My vision is definitely worse at night.
Rae L. says
nice to have crisper vision at night
joe gersch says
i cannot see well due to glare at night so confidence is less
tina reynolds says
I really like how much this helps in the image I have a really hard time seeing at night
Michaela R. says
It’s not more so me that has a problem with night driving, but my mother. She has a lower set car where all headlights tend to beam directly into the car. Her night vision is horrible ontop of that, so I get nervous for HER having to drive a night sometimes.
Angela Cisco says
I drive a lot slower at night because I have trouble ssing at night. If is raining I turn into a basketcase.
Samantha says
I get a bad glare on me windshield at night. It’s almost like the inside is always fogged up no matter how long I have the defrosters on. It makes driving at night scary!
Tammy Darling says
It’s okay but I’m a little light sensitive.
Lisa V. says
The glare tends to cause some problems, but if I’m in an area I know, I feel okay.
Laurie Emerson says
I drive very, very carefully at night. My vision is not as good as it used to be so I am very cautious when I have to drive at night.
Laurie Emerson says
I subscribed on Bloglovin
Trish Dowling says
my vision, is fine and i only wrk 3 nights a week, but my son drives long distances and after long 18 hours shifts so thiws would be helpful to him!
Bryan E. says
Thanks for the giveaway…thankfully, I do not have any night vision issues, although I can be a bit hyper-vigilant driving at night when it is raining.
Christian Alejandro says
I try not to drive way too much at night, because it’s not only my vision that is tested, it’s other drivers’.