Nervous about driving at night? You have every right to be. According to one study, 60% of drivers have driven while they were exhausted, and 37% have actually fallen asleep at the wheel. Unfortunately, exhausted and impaired (under the influence of alcohol or drugs) drivers tend to be on the roads more at night. It’s also just plain harder to see, especially for older drivers. If driving at night is unavoidable for you, these tips will help you stay safer out there.

1. Don’t Drive Drowsy

If you’re exhausted and can barely keep your eyes open, stay off the road. A sleep-deprived driver is no better than a drunk driver in many circumstances. Need a jolt of energy for the drive? Skip the caffeinated soft drinks that can cause you to crash even harder once the sugar wears off, and try eating some energy-fueling protein, fat, and healthy carbs instead. That combination might help give your body the fuel it needs to stay on its game for a short drive in the dark.

2. Make Sure Your Headlights Are Operating At Peak Performance

Just because your headlights passed inspection doesn’t necessarily mean they’re great at illuminating the road in front of you. Make sure your headlamps are clean, polished, and bright; it can be worth polishing the glass in older, well-loved vehicles (you can buy headlight polishing kits inexpensively at any auto parts store) or replacing the headlights altogether. You can also double-check that your headlights are aimed the right way. They should point downward and toward the right side of the road. This illuminates the road for you and helps prevent a blinding glare straight into the eyes of oncoming drivers.

3. Take Care of Your Vision

No matter your age, driving at night poses unique challenges. If you wear eyeglasses, make sure your prescription is up-to-date, and spring for anti-glare coating on your lenses. This helps drastically cut the glare you’ll see through your specs and your windshield, making it easier to see what’s actually going on out there. Protecting your vision during the daytime by wearing sunglasses can also help reduce eye strain and fatigue, which in turn helps you drive safer at night.

4. Plan Your Route Intentionally

If you have to drive at night, consider sticking to the best-lit roads in the neighborhood–and the ones with the fewest potholes. That shortcut through the backroads might be the shortest and least-traveled way to reach your destination, but when it’s dark out, you’re likely better off staying on the main drag as much as possible. Planning a longer trip that involves driving at night? Check your route against Google Maps or another online map service, and plan to stay on major highways.

5. Slow Down

It should go without saying, but we’ll just drop it here anyway: when you’re driving in the dark, slow down. Make sure that you’d always have time to stop by the time your headlights illuminated a danger in the road. Consciously remember to scan side streets and driveways for approaching traffic; many drivers are less cautious at night because they assume they’re going to be the only cars on the road. By slowing down a little and being aware of the hazards out there, you’ll greatly reduce the chances that you’re in an accident. And you’ll be able to drive with more confidence, no matter what the road throws your way.

Long-term storage of a vehicle isn’t as simple or straightforward as it may sound. For starters, you’ll need to maintain your vehicle prior to storing properly. Furthermore, you might be considering adjustments to your insurance policy.

All of these steps will be addressed in the following article to assist you in the safe and sound storage of your vehicle in Madison.

Wisconsin Winters Mean Indoor Storage Is Best

As a Wisconsin resident, you are keenly aware of how harsh Wisconsin winters can be, and this means that outdoor storage of your vehicle is not a good idea.

Instead, find a safe location indoors where you can store your vehicle. Your best option will be a paid storage facility. If you can’t store your vehicle at a storage facility, consider your garage, barn, or outbuilding. Just remember that it’s best not to store a vehicle on a dirt floor or in a place where critters or the elements would have easy access to it.

As a last resort, it is possible to park your vehicle under an awning or pole building and cover it with a vehicle cover as tightly as possible.

Pre-Storage Maintenance Is Essential

Once you’ve found a safe location for your vehicle, it’s time to perform some routine pre-storage maintenance. Take the following steps.

• Start by giving your vehicle a tune-up. Fill all of the fluids that need replenishing, including the anti-freeze, coolant, windshield wiper fluid, steering wheel fluid, and any others. You’ll want to replace the air filter and change the oil as well.
• Next, inflate all four tires to the maximum allowed pressure. This can help avoid what is called flat spots on the tires. You should also fill up the gas tank, taking care to add a fuel stabilizer like STA-BIL.
• As a final step in your tune-up, give your car a good cleaning and waxing on the outside, and clean and vacuum the inside as well.

Don’t Forget to Remove the Battery

Here’s a step that many car owners forget. You should take out the battery of your vehicle prior to storage. The battery should be hooked up to a battery tender to keep it from completely losing its charge. If it’s impossible to remove the battery (as is the case with some newer cars), you can hook the battery tender up to the battery while it’s still in the engine bay without issue.

Keep Pests at Bay

Mice and other critters may find their way into your vehicle as a warm place for the winter. To avoid this, a good preventative measure is to strategically place mothballs or fabric softener sheets in your trunk, on the seats or floor of your vehicle, and around the outside of the car.

Don’t Forget to Reexamine Your Insurance Policy

While it may be tempting to cancel your auto insurance altogether during your car’s storage; make sure you consider several points before doing so.

First, if you’re still paying off your car, your lender will not allow you to remove collision insurance. Next, removing any part of your insurance is going to leave a gap in coverage, which could raise your rates when you inevitably return to using your car on a regular basis again.

Finally, comprehensive insurance should never be removed from your policy as it protects against events that could happen at any moment in time, including fire, vandalism, building collapse, theft, and other acts of God.

Homewood Insurance Agency is here to assist you with any questions you may have concerning your auto insurance policy. Contact us today by visiting our office or giving us a call at your convenience.