4 causes of nighttime accidents

You may be aware of the many car accidents that happen during the day. But, you shouldn’t dismiss the fact that accidents can happen at night.

There are often a few common reasons behind car accidents at night. These include:

1. Drunk driving

A common danger that drivers face at night is encountering drunk drivers. Most bars stay open late, which means that drunk drivers are often driving home in the dark. The reason why drunk driving is so dangerous is that alcohol lowers a driver’s ability to focus and react swiftly. A drunk driver’s poor control could cause them to react irrationally on the road.

2. Fatigue

While drunk driving is bad, driving while drowsy may be just as bad, if not worse. Fatigue often creates many of the effects that someone drunk would feel: poor reaction time, focus, alertness and decision-making skills. A fatigued driver may weave back and forth on the road and even fall asleep behind the wheel.

3. Speeding

You may notice that there are fewer drivers on the road at night – and other drivers notice the same. Some drivers take advantage of the barren roads and speed. Speeding drivers often lose some control over their vehicles and experience limited reaction time because of how fast they’re going. If a speeding driver faces your vehicle, they may not be able to react in time and cause an accident.

4. Inexperienced drivers

Every experienced driver forgets what it was like to drive for the first time. It was likely a bit scary, especially driving at night for the first time. However, many inexperienced drivers are driving at night for the first time and they may not be prepared for the dangers, such as low visibility. The wrong action from an inexperienced driver could cause them to act irrationally and cause a nighttime accident.

If you’ve suffered injuries and losses from a car accident, it may help to know your legal rights when seeking compensation.