Around one in 10 British motorists has had an accident at night, according to a new survey from Green Flag.
The study found that 9% of drivers admit to having been involved in a road traffic accident after dark. That could mean as many as 3.6 million drivers have had a crash at night.
A similar number (11%) profess to know someone who has been in a car accident due to driving in the dark, and six in 10 drivers say they would rather take an alternative form of transport than drive in the dark. Almost half (44%) say they avoid driving in the dark.
Mark Newberry, commercial director at Green Flag, said: “Drivers need to know how their vehicles are being affected by the seasonal drop in temperatures as well as the dangers of driving in the dark.
“Some aspects of the impact on fuel efficiency can’t be avoided. Oil will be thicker in colder weather, until the engine warms up, increasing friction in both the engine and the gearbox meaning that the engine will always have to work harder to make things move. However, there’s still a lot that can be done to maximise fuel efficiency.”
