Sun Glare Can Put You At Risk Of A New Haven Auto Accident

You’ve probably run into this scenario before, you’ve been driving down the road and all of a sudden the sun is in a difficult spot and is making it so you can’t see the road in front of you. This phenomenon is known as sun glare and it can be a real problem which may put you at risk of getting into a New Haven auto accident. With summer coming up, sun glare is going to become an even bigger problem as you hit the road to go to work or on a long road trip.

There is good news though. Sun glare is dangerous and can cause you to get into an accident, but if you take some safety measures to reduce or eliminate it you should be good to go. One of the issues that arises with sun glare of course is visibility. Sun glare can cause temporary loss of vision or impair your ability to see the road clearly. It can make it difficult for you to judge distances, spot hazards or react to sudden changes in traffic. It is for this reason that you should take steps to avoid sun glare whenever you possible can.

One thing you can do to avoid sun glare is to drive during the time of the day when it is less likely. Generally speaking the early morning hours and the late afternoon hours are ones you will want to avoid so you cannot have to deal with sun glare. This is because the sun is low in the sky and is shining directly into your car as you drive along the road. Of course you don’t always have your choice of when you are going to be driving, so this may be difficult, but if you do have a choice of when to leave, try to avoid these times of the day so you can not have to deal with sun glare at all.

If you’re hitting the road and you realize that the sun is low in the sky and you’re going to have to deal with sun glare you should take some steps to keep yourself incident free while driving. These steps can be easily accomplished and they can help you save your life.

1.) Use your visor. Most people don’t properly use the visor in their car. The visor is in your car so you can use it when the sun becomes a problem for your visibility. While most standard visors that come in your vehicle will not block all of the sun glare, they will definitely help you reduce it. If you need more protection you may want to consider getting a wider visor for extra protection.

2.) Polarized sunglasses. Sunglasses aren’t only for looks, especially sunglasses that are polarized because these sunglasses are designed to help reduce the glare that is coming into the vehicle reflecting off of surfaces like windshields and roads. Having a pair of these handy will put you in a good situation to stay safe even when the sun is low in the sky.

3.) Keep your windshield clean. A dirty windshield is bad for visibility but it also can cause sunlight that is streaming into your vehicle to scatter and worsen the glare. You will want to make sure your windshield is free from debris and clean on the inside and out of your vehicle so you don’t run into this issue. Depending on weather conditions you should be cleaning your windshield once a week.

4.) Slow down. The final thing you can do to keep yourself safe when you’re experiencing sun glare is to slow down. If your visibility is compromised while you’re driving you may want to slow down and take your time getting to your destination. While this will not directly impact your visibility it will allow you to have a little more time when your reaction time is dulled by the sun glare to take an action that may keep you from a dangerous situation.

Sun glare is something you should be aware of at all times when you’re driving your vehicle. While there are certain times of the day that can have harsher sun glare then others, it is something that can happen all day long, so you need to be aware of it. If you take the steps outlined above and stay aware of your surroundings you will be going a long way to limit the chances that you will get into a New Haven auto accident as the result of sun glare.

Accidents do happen and if an injury or personal property damage were to occur you may need to speak to an experienced attorney. Contact our office and one of our attorneys will spend time to understand your situation and work with you to help protect your long-term interests.