[Eoscstudents] November Safety Tip

[Alton Jones]

The Most Dangerous Time to Drive

As we “Fall Back” to Shorter Days, Take Extra Care on the Road

                On, Monday 4 November 2019, as I was on my way home from
the EOSC Homecoming Chili Cook-Off I nearly hit a whitetail buck that was
crossing highway 270 near the Scrap Corps as I was entering into Krebs.  It
is fall and whitetail deer are beginning the “rut” season.  As most of us
are aware, this is peak breeding season for whitetail deer.  Bucks are on
the move.  When they are on the trail of a suitable doe nothing will
distract them not even two tons of vehicle barreling down on them.  Be very
cautious when traveling in SE Oklahoma during this time of year.

                Shortly after dodging this buck, just as I was approaching
the Sonic Drive-In in Krebs, as the lights of the restaurant were shining
in the darkness I noticed slight movement between me and the restaurant.  It
was two to three black cows that had gotten out of their pasture and
wandered out onto highway 270.  If I was not paying attention and did not
notice the slight movement between me and the lights I could have easily
crashed into them.  The reason I am telling you this is because shorter
days, fatigue, compromised night vision, rush hour and impaired drivers are
some of the risks we face when driving at night. These risks become
especially pronounced moving into the weekend, with fatal crashes peaking
on Saturday nights, according to NSC analysis of NHTSA data.

                At the end of Daylight Saving Time many people will find
themselves spending more time driving in the dark. Depth perception, color
recognition and peripheral vision can be compromised in the dark, and the
glare of headlights from an oncoming vehicle can temporarily blind a driver.

                Even with high-beam headlights on, visibility is limited to
about 500 feet (250 feet for normal headlights) creating less time to react
to something in the road, especially when driving at higher speeds.

What should you do to combat darkness?

   - Make sure you have your headlights aimed correctly, and make sure
   they're clean
   - Dim your dashboard
   - Look away from oncoming lights
   - If you wear glasses, make sure they're anti-reflective
   - Clean the windshield to eliminate streaks
   - Slow down to compensate for limited visibility and reduced stopping
   time



-- 
Alton L. Jones
Campus Police Chief
Eastern Oklahoma State College
Phone: 918-465-1739
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