Drivers in added danger when driving in darkness

Road Safety champion GEM Motoring Assist (formerly The Guild of Experienced Motorists) is warning drivers of the increased danger of driving in darkness. Latest figures reveal that around 40 per cent of road collisions happen between 7.00 pm and 7.00 am despite the fact that traffic levels during these hours are far below those encountered during the daytime.

David Williams Chief Executive of GEM Motoring Assist said, “Science has shown us that the human eye performs best in daylight, colours are better defined, images are at their sharpest and it is easier to detect rapid movement and peripheral activity. At night we see only a tenth of what we pick up in broad daylight. Smart drivers will adjust their driving to deal with restrictions placed on their vision rather than expecting eyes to achieve tasks they are scientifically not capable of achieving.”

Following the recent change to the clocks away from British Summer Time GEM has added detailed information on safer driving at night to the motoring advice section of its website www.motoringassist.com.

“Restricted vision means it takes longer for drivers to react at night and distances are harder to judge which greatly increases the likelihood of someone else's actions causing danger. Add to this the fact that it is usually at night when people drink and take drugs and it is easy to see that much greater attention to safety is required during the hours of darkness,” added David.