Sun glare: protecting yourself on the road

Just after sunrise and before sunset the sun can shine directly into drivers’ eyes, leaving many motorists driving with glare. This glare can make it much harder to see the road ahead and potential hazards, creating an added risk to drivers.

Sun glare can strike a driver unexpectedly at any time, but is most commonly experienced:

• During winter — the sun is closer to the horizon, and the sun also rises and sets during peak traffic periods. If you are travelling east in the morning and west in the afternoon, you will get sun glare twice per day.
• Exiting a tunnel or built-up area — if the tunnel is long enough, your eyes will adjust to the relative darkness, thus when exiting into bright light, you can’t see. Tall buildings can shade you from the sun and when you move to less urbanised streets, the sun can be a problem.
• From reflections — the sun will reflect off windows of buildings, other vehicles’ windshields and when the road surface is wet.

How to protect yourself from sun glare

While this glare is impossible to avoid, if you prepare yourself and your vehicle, you’ll have the best chance of staying safe.

• Wear good quality polarised specs, as these are the best at combating glare. A good pair of sunglasses can help significantly with blocking out the glare of low winter sun. Look for polarised specs, which are coated with a thin film designed to reduce glare. Not only will polarised sunglasses reduce the sun’s glare, they’ll also protect your eyes from the harmful effects of the sun.
• Use your vehicle’s sun visor to block the sun.
• Keep your windscreen clean, inside and out. Dust and grime on the windscreen can make the effects of sun strike much worse.
• Hang back from the vehicle in front as you might not see their brake lights as easily — give yourself a little more room to brake, and also a little extra buffer for any vehicles behind you that might be tailgating you.
   

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/Tomasz Zajda