A lot of our time is spent commuting in cars to get to one place or the other. Whether it be work, a friend’s birthday party or a dinner date –everyone wants to reach their destination in time, which is why traffic jams are so dreadful. When trying to find a suitable time to travel, you may ask yourself this: Are highways still busy at night?
The darker it gets, the lighter the traffic is. During the nighttime, there are only a select few people driving. As such, highways aren’t as busy.
Read on to find out more about driving at night, the risks associated with it, and safety tips for your drive.
People on The Highway at Night
While driving around at night, you may find an odd car, here and there, keeping you company –these can belong to:
- People who work late
- Highway construction workers
- Truck drivers
Can you imagine the streets being completely deserted? How scary would that be!
The Busiest Time to Drive
The busiest time on the roads is between 4 pm and 7 pm from Monday to Friday. This rush hour is due to people driving home from work and others traveling for social reasons. One thing for sure is that nothing’s fun about getting stuck in heavy traffic!
Did you know that highways can sometimes make traffic worse? Check the video out below explaining that:
How Can I Avoid Traffic?
Tired of being late to work and getting scolded by your boss? Here’s how you can change that – get on the highway before 7 am. Early morning hours are less congested, meaning that you’ll reach your workplace on time.
However, to wake up early you need to sleep early, too. So, yes, put that remote down and get to bed -you can catch your movie another time.
The Risks of Driving at Night
While driving at night seems appealing due to the lack of traffic, it still comes with certain risk factors. In fact, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said the fatality rate for car accidents was three times higher during the night than it was in the daytime.
Driver fatigue, compromised night vision, and a prevalence of drunk drivers are all risks associated with nighttime driving. So even if you know the road like the back of your hand, don’t start going for midnight rendezvous.
Safety Tips While Driving
It’s always better to be safe than sorry which is why below we’ve listed some ways you can do so:
- Be a patient driver.
- Consult a map if you’re unfamiliar with the route.
- Stay alert.
- Keep your distractions at bay –don’t try to multitask. (Yes, that means not using your phone, eating, or drinking while driving.)
Conclusion
While highways aren’t busy at night, it’s still recommended that individuals keep most of their traveling in the day. Certain changes (like leaving earlier) and taking extra precautions can make for a better, stress-free drive –so, why not add them to our routine? Happy driving!
