Worried about things that go bump crunch in the night? You should be…
- 4x more crashes happen at night - even though there’s 75% less traffic
- 13% of drivers admit they fall asleep behind the wheel at least once a month
(sources: National Safety Council (NSC), National Sleep Foundation poll)
Even more alarming, truck drivers don’t know night driving safety as well as they should. One of the top Google searches related to truck driving at night is, “at night how should you adjust your following distance cdl?”
Make sure your drivers know how to stay safe when driving at night. Read on for helpful safety tips, and find out what time of day a crash is most likely to occur.
7 Stats About Night Driving Every Fleet Manager Should Know
According to the National Safety Council (NSC):
- Only 25% of driving takes place at night
- But nighttime is when 50% of traffic deaths occur
- A familiar road is just as dangerous as an unfamiliar one
- Night driving collisions occur just as often on short trips as long ones
- 37 percent of drivers have fallen asleep while driving
- 13 percent admit to falling asleep behind the wheel at least once a month
- Most crashes and near-misses occur between 4-6 a.m., followed by midnight to 2 a.m.
How GOOD ARE Your Night Driving Skills?
Judging vehicle speeds at night is incredibly difficult (if you think otherwise, watch this video). Our eyes can also play tricks on us in the dark. A motorcycle or small car can be “hidden” in the headlights of a larger vehicle as shown in this video.
Inexperience is a major cause of nighttime driving incidents. Drivers unaccustomed to driving at night:
- Have trouble judging other vehicles’ speeds and distances in the dark
- Can’t recognize the signs of fatigue
- Don’t know what to do if they feel sleepy
- Make simple but dangerous mistakes like failing to remove streaks from their windshield and forgetting to remove dashboard clutter that obscures vision/reflects in the windshield
Train Drivers To Avoid Night Driving Dangers
Make sure your drivers know how to protect themselves and others when driving at night. ITI’s online course is the most convenient and effective way to teach drivers about night driving safety best practices.
Our 11-minute online lesson on night driving can be completed on a computer or mobile device. It covers:
- Common night driving hazards
- Collision avoidance
- How to cope with fatigue
- Dealing with low visibility…….Bad weather (rain, fog, etc).
Online safety training from ITI is a simple, proven way to prevent collisions and injuries — at any time of day. Leading fleets like Ashley Homestore, Frito-Lay, and FedEx partners trust ITI to protect drivers and their bottom line.
- ITI's ClearDrive™ online training is designed for the specific needs of commercial and delivery fleets. Convenient online defensive driving courses prepare your drivers to handle common hazards including fatigue, night driving, and distractions behind the wheel.
- PRO-TREAD® online training provides superior training and proven results for heavy-duty fleets.
All ITI online driver training uses 3D animations, real-world scenarios, and concise but thorough explanations that respect the driver’s time and experience. Talking heads? Clip art? Hard no.
Let us help you achieve your safety goals. Connect with a training consultant online or by phone. Call 360-576-5976 and choose option 4, or request an online demo.
