How to maximize visibility
How you can ensure your car is visible
Other ways to stay safe at night when driving in Alaska
Wrapping up
How to maximize visibility
Driving at night in Alaska anywhere other than areas like Fairbanks and Anchorage will have a maximum amount of darkness to deal with. In cities such as Fairbanks and Anchorage, there is an abundance of light from many streetlights and buildings all in one condensed area. When you actually get out onto the highways in Alaska, especially the more remote highways such as Dalton Highway, light and visibility will come at a minimum. This is why you will want to maximize your visibility when you are driving at night in Alaska.
Obviously, you will want to ensure that your headlights and high beams are both working before you start driving and that you use each of them at the appropriate times when driving at night. You can also ensure that your windshield has been properly cleaned. If your vehicle’s windshield is dirty, this can directly cause lower visibility and it can indirectly lower visibility as well by causing glare when an oncoming car’s headlights hit your windshield.
Also, ensure that your wiper blades are functioning correctly and that you have enough windshield wiper fluid if needed. Finally, if you need glasses to drive at night or in general, make sure you wear them and that they are clean. To take that a step further, you can also use an anti-glare coating on your glasses to reduce the possibility of glare from occurring at night from other driver’s headlights.
How you can ensure your car is visible
Another big part of staying safe as you drive in Alaska at night will be to make sure that your car is as visible as possible to other drivers. If someone cannot see your car, they will not be able to even try to avoid colliding with you.
Other drivers being able to see your car out on the road will also begin with your headlights and high beams both working correctly and being used at the appropriate times. However, you also need to ensure that drivers behind you will be able to see you as well. This means that you will also need to check your taillights and brake lights regularly in order to ensure that they are functioning correctly. If you have a dark colored car, you might want to consider using some reflective tape on the front, sides and back of your car in order to make your car stand out as much as possible as well.
If you need to pull over to the side of the road, keep your car running so that your headlights and taillights remain on without draining the battery. However, you also should turn your hazard lights on as well. Your hazards are not only additional lights that will be on, but they blink which draws extra attention to them.
Other ways to stay safe at night when driving in Alaska
If maximizing safety as you drive at night in Alaska is a top priority for you, you should realize that being able to see clearly and being able to be seen is just part of what you should be concerned with. You will also need to heighten your focus as much as possible as well as maximize your potential reaction time. In Alaska, on top of inclement weather conditions there could be hazards in the road such as downed trees or various animals crossing the road such as moose or bears.
In order to keep complete focus on driving and the road ahead ensure you do the following:
- Eliminate any distractions such as cell phone use, overly loud music and eating while driving.
- Get enough sleep the night before you drive because if you are too tired, you will be focused on staying awake rather than the road ahead.
- Know your exact route or have directions read to you by an app or passenger. If you need to occasionally take your eyes off the road to peak at a phone or GPS, your focus will not be entirely on driving.
To be able to maximize your reaction time when driving at night, you must:
- Keep extra distance between you and the car in front of you. If someone driving in front of you has to stop short for any reason, having extra space in front of you to complete a stop can save you from getting into an accident.
- Be ready to be surprised. Always keep your hands at ten and two and drive defensively at all times. You never know when you might need to suddenly stop or drive around something.
- Never drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs will dull everything you do, even some basic motor functions such as speaking correctly will be dulled. It will certainly slow your reaction time while driving.
Wrapping up
Driving at night in Alaska can be challenging, as visibility is significantly reduced it can be more difficult to see other vehicles, wildlife crossings, and other obstacles on the road. You need to increase your visibility as much as you can, maximize the ability for other drivers to see you, stay focused on the road and give yourself as much potential reaction time as possible. If you need to transport a car to Alaska from any US state or from Alaska to any US state, our vehicle logistics experts will get the job done, give us a call today for a free quote at (907) 331-3100.
