Avoiding, Reducing & Blocking Low Sun Glare: Morning & Evening Driving

Updated Nov. 16, 2020

Drivers are most susceptible to sun glare in the morning and late afternoon, when the sun is lowest in the sky. Sun glare is incredibly dangerous as it can impair vision and in extreme cases, cause momentary blindness. Less severe sun glare can distort road signs and traffic signals, leading drivers to make potentially devastating mistakes.

Causes of sun glare
Preventing sun glare
Driving with sun glare
Other drivers on the road

Understanding what causes sun glare and when it may occur will help you prevent and avoid it. You must also know how to react when strong sun glare takes you by surprise.

Causes of sun glare

When the sun is low on the horizon, direct sunlight can create a powerful glare on the reflective surface of your windshield. The relatively low position of the sun during spring and fall makes these seasons the worst for sun glare-related accidents. Moisture and particle accumulation on both sides of your windshield can reflect and refract light, worsening the effect of sun glare.

Preventing sun glare

Keeping your windshield clean is the surest way to prevent sun glare. Your state driver’s handbook will probably tell you as much in the “hazardous conditions” section. Be sure to refer to the handbook for other useful information on dealing with glare. Also, check out our glare-prevention tips listed here:

1
Keep both sides of your windscreen clean.
This will also reduce everyday eye-strain. Drivers often forget the inside of the windshield as it does not appear to get dirty as quickly as the outside. In fact, microscopic dust particles will accumulate here, attracting water vapor and giving the glass a foggy appearance.
2
Tiny scratches caused by windscreen wipers and debris from the road can worsen sun glare.
Try to keep your wipers and windscreen clear at all times and do not run the wipers when your windshield is dry.

Driving with sun glare

No matter how hard you try to prevent it, there will be times during your life as a driver when sun glare is unavoidable. As soon as the sun glare occurs, you should increase your following distance to account for the poor visibility. Do this even if the glare does not seem too severe, as it could worsen suddenly.

Adjust your sun visor to shield your eyes from the glare without cutting off your view of the road ahead. It is a good idea to keep a pair of dark sunglasses in the glove compartment of your car. Wear them as a precautionary measure on particularly bright days and on occasions when you are likely to encounter glare.

If sun glare makes it difficult to see road signs, markings or the road ahead, you must pull over as soon as it is safe to do so. Once your vehicle has stopped safely, you can wait for the glare to subside or consider taking a different route to your destination.

Other drivers on the road

If you are having trouble seeing the road ahead due to sun glare, it is likely that other drivers around you who are traveling in the same direction are also having trouble. Keep in mind that the driver immediately behind you may not be able to see your indicators, brake lights, or your vehicle particularly clearly. Avoid making any sudden maneuvers as this could easily cause a collision. If you must reduce your speed or pull over, do so in a controlled manner and with caution.

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Driving Through Fog & Smoke

Of all the adverse weather conditions you may have to deal with while driving, fog is the most dangerous. Turn on your headlights, activate fog lights, activate your windscreen wipers and reduce speed. Do not start a journey if the fog is so thick that the way ahead is completely obscured a few feet in front of your vehicle.

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Driving in The Rain

Driving in the rain can be every bit as dangerous as driving in icy or snowy conditions. Water on the road’s surface can seriously impede your vehicle control, while the rain itself impacts visibility. You must understand how to manage theses challenges and drive safely during wet and rainy conditions. Every risk you face during wet and rainy weather can be diminished by reducing your speed; this should be the first action you take.

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Hydroplaning

Hydroplaning is a phenomenon which occurs on wet roads, when a vehicle hits a film of water at a speed great enough to glide on top of it, rather than maintaining contact with the road’s surface. Increasing speed makes the water-channeling action less effective and can separate your tires from the asphalt, so they ride over the water like a set of water skis. When hydroplaning occurs, it results in partial or complete loss of control and steering ability. It is something that every driver wants to avoid.

Review

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Preparing for The Trip

If your journey involves using unfamiliar limited access highways, planning your route ahead of time is essential. Mapping out your trip in advance will minimize stress and ensure you do not miss vital exits on the freeway.

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Important Driving Practices

This section summarizes those must-know highway driving techniques and safety practices. Organized into an easy-to-follow checklist, this information can be printed off and revisited as often as needed; you may wish to read through it again before taking your car onto a freeway.

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Avoiding Highway Emergencies

Practicing defensive driving techniques can help you avoid accidents and emergencies on the highway. You may still encounter crashes irrespective of how careful you are, as you cannot rely on other drivers to make safe decisions all the time. The nature of expressway driving means that a single accident or collision can end up disrupting many different vehicles.

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Driving in Work Zones

The term “work zone” refers to any area on a public road where utility, construction or maintenance work is being conducted. There may be barriers, cones, heavy equipment, temporary signs, signal lights and workers in the roadway, prior to, during and beyond work sites. Nearly all states have chosen to discourage dangerous driving around high-risk work zones by increasing or doubling the fines incurred by traffic violations.

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Work Zone Signs & Signals

Drivers moving through a roadway work zone will come across unexpected road signs, signals and traffic control measures. Traffic control personnel – often known as flaggers or flagmen – may be positioned around a work zone to manage the flow of traffic through the site. The increased risk around work zones means that obeying the signs, signals and traffic control devices established in these areas is every bit as important as obeying them elsewhere.

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Driving in Hazardous Conditions

Unfavorable weather and road conditions can create hazards that make driving difficult, and more dangerous. You must learn how to identify and compensate for these hazards, to protect yourself and other road users from harm. hoosing not to drive in rain, snow or fog, at night or during any other hazardous conditions is always the smartest decision.