There are many people who fear driving in the dark. If you do not drive in the dark because you suffer from night blindness, then it is probably a good idea not to do so.
However, if you experience anxiety because driving in the dark is something that scares you, then you should read this article.
There are many reasons that people are afraid to drive in the dark aside from night blindness.
- Fear of not seeing where to turn and getting lost
- Fear of getting into an accident
- Fear of hitting a person on foot or bicycle
- Fear of hitting an animal or a deer walking out into the road
- Fear of not being able to see well wearing your glasses
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Getting Lost In The Dark
When it is dark it can be difficult to navigate roads well, especially if you are not familiar with them to begin with.
It can be easy to miss your turn and have to turn around in another dark place you are unfamiliar with.
If this is coupled with the fear of getting lost, your anxiety can be much higher.
Fear Of Accidents In The Dark
At night it can be hard to spot another car, especially if it is foggy or if the other car is not using their headlights like they are supposed to.
This can of course cause accidents and coupled with a fear of getting into an accident, anxiety can triple.
Fear Of Hitting Someone In The Dark
Not everyone follows the rules of the road and follows safe practices. There are people who will walk along the side of the road wearing dark clothing.
There are bike riders who do the same and sometimes, you cannot see these people until you are very close to them.
Fear Of Animals In The Road
If you are in a rural area, the possibility of a deer running into the road is a high possibility, especially during particular seasons.
Other animals can also wander into the road and our first instinct, when anything crosses our path while driving, is to swerve away from hitting it.
Many creatures come out at night and this is a possible event.
Driving With Glasses
Many times, people who wear glasses have a fear of driving in the dark.
This is mainly because many models of spectacles are made without taking night driving into consideration.
Glares from lights on other cars can make you highly anxious and fearful of driving in the dark.
If any of these things have happened to you before you may be even more fearful of night driving.
However, there will be some time in your life when you will have to drive at night.
An emergency will arise in which you will have no other option. So, how to you get past this fear?
What Can You Do?
If you are fearful of driving at night there are steps that you can take to lessen your anxiety.
- Learn the tricks of driving in the dark
- Drive slower then you normally would in the daytime
- Learn calming techniques
- Learn self help methods
- Learn with a partner
- Purchase glasses designed for night driving
There are certain things you can do to improve your quality of driving at night, therefore lowering your anxiety levels. The main thing is seeing well.
If you do not have night blindness but still feel ill equipped to see in the dark, then you can do the following:
‣ Bend your rear view mirror. (Most are able to be set in a down position so the lights behind you are not as bright but you can still clearly see what is back there)
‣ Use the right headlight for you. If you can see better with the brights on then use them. (Remember to be courteous though and do not blind on coming drivers.)
‣ If you find yourself drifting, try focusing on the white line. This can help you to refocus your attention and keep you on the road safely.
Driving on the road is not a race. If you feel uncomfortable driving the speed limit then go a bit slower.
Watch your speed though as driving too slow can also cause accidents.
A good idea here is to but on your hazard lights so that others coming up behind you can see you there and realize that you are moving slow. This will help to prevent accidents.
Use calming techniques in order to keep anxiety at bay.
Deep breathing, calming music and talking out loud to yourself to help you make it from point A to point B can be very helpful in lowering anxiety.
Bring along a buddy to help you while you are learning to overcome your fear.
If you must drive at night and are fearful of doing so, having another body in the car can be very reassuring.
You can now get glasses that are designed to deflect any bright lights and this was developed with night driving in mind.
Until I was able to get this type of eyewear, I found night driving to be unbearable as lights from oncoming traffic hurt my eyes and made seeing well difficult.
If you can get this type of eyewear then you are sure to see a big difference in your visibility and a drop in your anxiety dealing with fear of driving in the dark.
Self help programs can also be highly beneficial. They can teach you how to overcome all of your driving fears, not just this particular one.
Most self help programs come with workbooks, seminars and CD’s to take with you on the go.
A highly recommended program is the The Original Driving Fear Program and can help to you lose your anxiety for good.
No matter what you choose to do for help, you should certainly do something!
By allowing this fear to take over you are restricting yourself in a huge way.