Picture yourself driving back late at night from a movie. It’s dark, you’re tired and the road is clear. Then suddenly a deer steps out in front of your vehicle at the last second and looks at you with the utmost shock. A lot of people have had this experience before. The idiom used to describe someone who has just been shocked, “deer in the headlights,” comes from this exact experience. 

The “deer in the headlight” look is due to the fact that the deer had his night vision fully engaged and you just poured about 1000 lumens (per headlight) into his eyes. Now that he’s blind, he should be relatively easy to hit if that was your end goal. 

Other than considering adjusting your insurance premiums, I would like to advise you on some situational awareness tactics. A will to prepare is just as important as being aware. A deer lacks the logic to prepare, but as humans we do not. I wrote last time on creating a situationally aware mindset and avoiding patterns. This article will help you prepare yourself for situational awareness in low light areas. 

Alone in the Dark

Pirates used eye patches so that at least one eye would be adjusted for night navigation. Whether it was to go down to a lower deck of the ship or to prepare for a potential night attack, they had a plan. Fail to plan, plan to fail. It’s as simple as that. Now, I do not advise you start wearing a custom-made eye patch, but there are similar steps you can take to achieve the same goal.

When you are entering a dark room or area simply close your eyes as long as you can prior to entry. It takes about 25 minutes for your eyes to fully adjust in the dark, but any amount of adjustment is better than none.

You should practice this at home first. Wielding a weapon is nothing without first knowing where, when, why and how to use it. Practicing at home allows you to get familiar with how long it takes your eyes to adjust and become more comfortable in the dark. Once you’re comfortable indoors, try practicing in your driveway or backyard for outdoor experiences as well.

Taking it Outside

When you arrive in a parking lot with minimal lighting, first always scan the area with the doors locked prior to exiting your vehicle. After the headlights are off, take a few moments to adjust your eyes. Then take a mental note or picture of everything and everyone in the surrounding areas.

Use your increased visual to look inside other vehicles, note items out of place, people walking by, sitting in cars or loitering, etc. If you see a seat laid back in a car it could mean someone is trying to conceal him or herself. If someone is sitting in their car, take note of what they are doing.

Once you’ve noted everything you can, head inside and maintain an awareness of all sides. Keep your eyes moving so that they will not adjust to any one single light source. Use your peripheral vision to continue watching as wide of an area as possible. Make sure you look over your shoulder every now and then so that you know what is behind you.

Now once you come out of a building, do the same adjustments and recall the mental notes and photos you took when you arrived. Look to see if any vehicles have changed locations. Take notice of any individuals that were seen before or have arrived since. Were any seats that were laid back altered?

Always Maintain Awareness

It’s hard to be aware if you can hardly see anything around you. Bilberry, a berry found in Eurasia, is an excellent source of athnocyanosides. Athnocyanosides can help of you have certain eye conditions and increase your eyesight, especially if you’re trying to focus at night. Try eating foods and taking vitamins that help enhance your vision both in daylight and low light environments.

All of these steps may seem like overly paranoid precautions, but they are truly life saving. It’s important to never prepare potential stalkers by posting your every move to Facebook or Twitter. If you do, then you’re just ringing the dinner bell for predators. They’ll be the ones waiting just off the beaten path with the seat laid back. Keep your location private.

Just remember, if you fail to prepare, then you could very end up with that “deer in the headlights” gaze as you become the latest statistic.