Traveling on a New Mexico road at night can be challenging for many reasons. First, a lack of natural light limits how far you scan for people, animals or objects that might be in your path. Furthermore, you are more likely to encounter vehicles that are operated by impaired motorists during overnight hours. Fortunately, there are steps that you can take to minimize your risk of being in an accident after the sun goes down.
Minimize distractions
You’ll generally have less time to take evasive action when you drive at night. This is because you might not spot an object in your path until your vehicle is in close proximity to it. In addition, impaired drivers tend to be more erratic, which means that it can be harder to predict when they will brake, change lanes or take other actions. Therefore, you will need to eliminate as many distractions as possible to give yourself a better chance of anticipating a dangerous situation before it happens.
Don’t drive if you’re tired
Your body is eager to go to sleep after it gets dark outside. Therefore, there is a greater risk of driving while fatigued during the overnight hours, and this may be true even if you’re used to being awake at night. Constant yawning, short-term memory issues and an inability to maintain control of your vehicle are common signs of fatigue.
If you experience any of these symptoms, pull to the side of the road for a quick nap. Alternatively, you can ask a passenger to assume driving duties while you sleep. In the event that you are involved in a MVA caused by a tired driver, it may be in your best interest to take legal action against that person.
An attorney may be able to help you obtain compensation from any party responsible for causing a crash that you were involved in. Legal counsel may use cellphone records, witness statements or other evidence to establish that another person’s negligent actions resulted in a crash occurring.
