Driving in the dark and the increased risk of car accidents for the elderly

Driving in the dark on unfamiliar roads is a major cause of car accidents, particularly in country areas with small winding roads. The risk of a fatal accident is three times higher at night than during the day (particularly between 9:00pm and 2:00am).

Even perfect vision is reduced to 20/50 at night. The eye is made up of microscopic irregularities which deform the light entering the eye. This distortion can have a big impact on quality of vision. Night-time glare and poor weather conditions further reduce visibility overall.

Elderly drivers in particular should be careful on dark roads. Macular degeneration, a chronic disease which can lead to blindness, is a major cause of car accidents for the elderly late at night. The macula is part of the retina at the back of the eye that transmits images to the brain. It can home in on very small objects in the distance and when the macula develops degenerative changes, night-time driving becomes hazardous.

Several other changes occur in the eye as we age. Just like other parts of the body, the eyelids begin to droop and provide less peripheral vision.

There are some steps you can take to improve your night vision and increase your driving skills. One is wearing special glasses that have your eye 'fingerprint' on them, meaning that they are crafted in response to the aberrations in your eye.

The pioneering iZon Wavefront-Guided Lenses, produced in the States, are an innovation in vision correction technology, providing high-definition vision, day or night. For more information visit www.allaboutvision.com

There are some simple steps that you can take to improve your vision and night driving skills. Opticians recommend that you consider the following in order to increase the sensitivity of your eyes, improve your night vision and decrease your chances of being involved in a car accident.

Night driving tips

Wear sunglasses during the day when it is sunny and bright. This will keep your eyes more sensitive and alert when you're driving at night.

Make sure that all the lights on the car work properly and that headlights are not pointing off the road at an angle in any way.

Make sure that your wing mirrors are correctly angled and that you can clearly see the road and the car driving behind you.

Keep your windshield clean - being able to see other cars and being seen by other drivers helps.

Don't stare at oncoming headlights - focus on the edges of oncoming traffic and bright objects.

Keep looking around - keep your eyes moving from side to side.

If you're tired, stop driving and get some sleep.

Making a car accident compensation claim

If you have been involved in a non-fault car accident, you may be entitled to make a compensation claim.

Our team of personal injury specialists have extensive experience in dealing with cases of this nature and an excellent success rate.

We work on a no win no fee basis and guarantee that you will receive every penny of compensation awarded to you.

Call us now on 0808 143 43 42 and we will explain how you can go about making a car accident claim today.