Ten tips to avoid glare
At this time of year – when the sun sits lower on the horizon – drivers will be looking into the sun either on their way to work in the morning, or when driving back home in the evening.
“Driving with a glare makes it much harder to see the road ahead, and to notice potential hazards. In these conditions we urge drivers to exercise extra caution, especially in areas with high foot traffic such as schools, bus stops and road crossings,” advises the Automobile Association (AA).
These are the AA’s top ten tips to help you cope with the glare:
- Use polarised sunglasses or anti-glare prescription glasses.
- Use your visor and the extendable visor available on some vehicles.
- Keep a safe following distance and drive with your headlights on to make your vehicle more visible to oncoming traffic, as well as from behind.
- Ensure your windshield is clean. Hitting the washer may worsen your visibility, however, if your wipers aren’t in perfect working condition.
- Keep your dashboard free of clutter.
- If you are struggling to see ahead, reduce your speed and use the road markings as a guide.
- If possible, pull over and wait for the sun to move.
- Don’t brake suddenly on the highway, rather slow down carefully.
- Change your travel time, if possible, to avoid the sun being directly in your face.
- Consider using alternative routes to cut down on east/west travel, thereby cutting down on the sun being directly in your face.
“It may seem obvious that you want to cut out glare when driving, but many people don’t adapt their driving habits during these times. It’s extremely important to drive with the conditions in mind to ensure you remain safe at all times,” the AA concludes.