Dangers of Driving Into Sun

Daylight Saving Danger: Driving Into Sun

With Daylight Saving Time starting on Sunday, March 10, most Americans will “Spring Forward” and change their clocks one hour later and kick off the summer season of more evening daylight and less morning sun.

While it’s easy to see the added benefits to long days and more time in the daylight, few realize the added dangers – especially when behind the wheel.

The short-term dangers in the few days after the time change involve an increase in drowsy driving due to a reduction in sleep. The long term dangers involve the sun shining directly into drivers’ eyes, leaving many motorists driving with a glare caused by the sun. Driving into the sun just after sunrise and just before sunset can make it much harder to see ahead and is an added risk to drivers.

So how can you protect yourself? AAA offers these tips for motorists who find themselves driving into the sun:

• Invest in polarized sunglasses – they can help reduce glare.
• Utilize your sun visor – it can help to block out the sun.
• Leave more following room – when the sun is in your eyes it can be hard to see what the car ahead is doing. This is one more time when it pays to leave more room between you and the next vehicle.
• Drive with your headlights on to increase your visibility to other drivers

Additional tips:

• Keep your windshield clean, inside and out
• Check your windshield for pitting and cracks
• Avoid storing papers or other items on the dashboard
• If having a difficult time seeing the road, use lane markings to help guide you.

Rarely will visibility be absolutely perfect while driving, but if motorists know this and make the proper adjustments, you can minimize any additional risks that come with less-than-optimal visual conditions.

For more information, please contact Ginnie Pritchett at vpritchett@national.aaa.com