It's well-known that driving at night is more dangerous than driving during the day. The ratio of accidents to cars on the road is higher when it's dark. Even if there are fewer total accidents than during daylight hours, the accident rate is higher because of the significantly reduced traffic levels.

Have you ever found yourself wondering why this is? Let's consider a few of the reasons.

Exhausted workers

For one thing, workers who had to put in extra long shifts or who work a shift that always ends in the middle of the night have to commute home after the job is done. This means that they could be exhausted and highly fatigued as they try to drive, two things that contribute to crashes in the dark.

Drunk drivers

Additionally, drunk driving accidents are statistically more likely after midnight. It's not just that these drunk drivers can't see as well in the dark. Statistically, there's a higher percentage of drunks on the road at night. Many people don't even start drinking until it's dark, so DUI arrests and accidents both will increase.

Reduced visibility

Even drivers who are awake and sober could cause accidents due to reduced visibility. It can be as simple as someone not seeing a stop sign or not realizing that another car is coming when they pull out onto the street. The darkness itself tends to cause crashes.

It's best not to drive at night, but you can't always plan around that. If you get injured in an accident, you must know what legal options you have.