Maybe it’s worsening eyesight, maybe it’s getting older. Maybe it’s a combination of those things plus another thing or two. But I no longer like to drive in the dark.
When I rode my own motorcycle, it was a no-brainer to get home before sundown. Motorcyclists have enough of a challenge getting around safely in daylight. Riding at night was more of a risk than I was willing to take. One unexpected raccoon on the road could alter life’s course.
For years and years I left home at 3 am or thereabouts to get to work in downtown Toronto. I left in the dark and returned at midday, driving against the heaviest flow of traffic, and didn’t think twice about it. There wasn’t a choice if I wanted to keep my job, which I loved. Actually, it struck me as less dangerous to be on highways then, as opposed to daytime when every bad driver and his mother was behind the wheel.
In recent years, though, I’ve done everything I can to avoid driving at night. Sometimes there’s no choice so I just suck it up. But I not only detest it, I feel unsafe.
Dark Driving to the Forest City
Last week, I had to be in London for an appointment early in the morning. That meant leaving Port Stanley before 6 am. Pitch dark. It wasn’t scary but it certainly had me on high alert. There was hardly any traffic until I got closer to St. Thomas. That meant keeping a keen eye out for deer because we have plenty of them around.
On the other side of St. Thomas, a motorcyclist buzzed past me at well over the speed limit. He then hugged the bumper of the flatbed truck ahead of me for several kilometres. This guy was riding something that looked like a half-step up from a dirt bike. He was probably waiting for a chance to pass the truck but in the meantime, if anything had caused the truck driver to tap the brakes, the biker would have been toast.
On the gravel shoulders of Wellington Road, cyclists rode in the pitch black with just a white light on the front of their bikes. Joggers – same. It was all just a riot of lights. It didn’t seem safe for them. I was reminded of a woman who jogged in the middle of the road in London at 3 am. Every morning, I’d see her on my way to 981 downtown, and think she was taking a heck of a risk.
Because of construction, GPS sent me over to White Oak Road. At one point, I got confused. A transport truck had all of its lights on and flares on the road ahead. I couldn’t tell what the situation was – was it in a live lane? My lane? – so I slowed down. It turned out that there was a sharp curve and the truck was on the other side of the road, on the shoulder, broken down. But it was like an optical illusion on the dark stretch of pavement.
I’ve been in two major accidents since moving to London and both happened on bright days. During my commuting days to downtown, I was more likely to see a strange pedestrian than anything dangerous on the road.
Canada’s Transportation Ministry doesn’t break down collision data by time of day, but the US National Safety Council does. It says Saturday is “peak collision day.” In spring and summer, the most dangerous time is 8 pm – midnight. In cooler weather, it’s earlier, when sunset occurs earlier – 4 pm – 8 pm. Both of those time periods involve darkness.
Improper Peepers
I need a good pair of driving glasses. The only specs optimized for far sight are my sunglasses which were no good to me in the dark. That’s part of the issue, I’m sure. But it’s not the whole story.
It probably also has something to do with not driving in darkness regularly anymore. The joggers and cyclists seem to be taking massive risks with their safety. The atmosphere feels unpredictable – which of course, it is. But so is daytime driving, albeit with a better view.
Maybe it’s that I’m simply more aware now. Or that there are few things I consider worth driving in the dark for. Maybe it’s just getting older, living in the moment instead of rushing to get somewhere, and becoming keenly aware that all sorts of things can happen that are out of one’s control. So one controls the things she can. Like staying off the roads in the dead of night.
Same issue for me Lisa and if you add rain and darkness together you get my kryptonite. A good pair of driving glasses certainly helps.
Oh yeah, rain just doubles and triples all the lights. YIKES! Yeah, I guess I need to get proper specs. Thanks, Jay.
Lisa, don’t put off getting better lenses or non-glare glasses, even if you just use them at night or on rainy days. You never know when you may have a 2:00 a.m. urgent run to a hospital a half hour away for hubby or a neighbour. I had many difficult drives before I had cataract surgery with upgraded lenses and the difference was magical.
That’s great advice, Maureen. You’re so right. I’m going to look after that today. Thank you.
Oh ya, this is also me!! During the pandemic we moved to the country and I was working from home. But as things loosened up I had to travel in to the office. At first it was fine. Then the time changed in November and it was a rainy day. Blackness!! I felt so lost and confused and the long drive seemed endless. I used to drive around in my old area all the time at night but there were street lights everywhere there. Out in the boonies it can be very dark.
You’re so right about how dark it gets. We were living in the country through the pandemic and I’m thankful we were already working from home. It was beautiful for seeing the stars but not for driving!