Driving with glaring sunlight

NottinghamKnight · 4 November 2020 at 2:37PM

whatever you do don't rely on someone flashing you out, it could lead to a very long thread.

Teapot55 · 4 November 2020 at 3:00PM

JustAnotherSaver said:

. . . Where I live I have to climb a bit of a hill to get out on the main road and the angle of the sun in the morning can be terrible.
So with sun visor down, sunglasses on, windscreen clear it can still be very difficult to see. I drive gingerly, hoping anything coming the other way will move out and beep me if I'm about to hit them. Not ideal.

Short of stopping and getting out every wheel turn to have a look, what's a better way of dealing with this? Are there special types of glasses you can get that cut the glare down totally?

You are right to take things really carefully, but guess you know that. With a bit of luck the angle of the sun will be slightly different each day so after maybe another week or so (?) from now the angle of the sun will only be difficult if you change the time you are going out.

You will know this too, but be especially on the lookout for road users right at the edge of the road - bike riders are actually advised not to stay really near the edge but to move out a bit at junctions to be more noticeable - but this isn't always known or feasible in heavy traffic. Also, of course, road users on motorbikes - again they should not be coming up fast & overtaking traffic at the approach to a junction, but look anyway.

There was a dreadful case a few years back in Hampshire of a dear old gentleman school crossing patrol who was killed by a driver who said in court that they had been blinded by the sunlight.

Ebe_Scrooge · 4 November 2020 at 3:25PM

JustAnotherSaver said:

I've wondered about this so to move on a bit from the question...

I'm anal with clean glass so yes mine is clean, minimal dusting if any.
Where I live I have to climb a bit of a hill to get out on the main road and the angle of the sun in the morning can be terrible.
So with sun visor down, sunglasses on, windscreen clear it can still be very difficult to see. I drive gingerly, hoping anything coming the other way will move out and beep me if I'm about to hit them. Not ideal.

Short of stopping and getting out every wheel turn to have a look, what's a better way of dealing with this? Are there special types of glasses you can get that cut the glare down totally?

I feel your pain. There's not a lot you can do about it in practice, apart from being very very careful (other than making sure the windscreen is perfectly clean, inside and out, and free from scratches). On the occasions I've been in this situation, I've been known to drive at walking pace - literally less than 5 mph - hoping that at that speed I'll be able to stop in time if I suddenly find myself about to hit something. And yes, be prepared to stop if necessary. It's not easy to deal with, you've just got to be sensible and do your best. In practice, you'll rarely find yourself in this situation for more than a few hundred yards.

Polarising sunglasses are very helpful - they don't cut out a huge amount of actual light, but they stop the glare (one reason why anglers often use them, they can see the fish below the surface of the water). Assuming you don't need prescription sunglasses, you can pick up a pair in Boots for about a tenner. They may not be the height of fashion, but they do the job and it's well worth just keeping a pair in the car.

mattyprice4004 · 4 November 2020 at 3:29PM

+1 for cleaning the screen inside and out with proper glass cleaner, even if you think it's clean.
It might not look dirty, but you'll be amazed how much different it makes.

mattyprice4004 · 4 November 2020 at 3:30PM

JustAnotherSaver said:

I've wondered about this so to move on a bit from the question...

I'm anal with clean glass so yes mine is clean, minimal dusting if any.
Where I live I have to climb a bit of a hill to get out on the main road and the angle of the sun in the morning can be terrible.
So with sun visor down, sunglasses on, windscreen clear it can still be very difficult to see. I drive gingerly, hoping anything coming the other way will move out and beep me if I'm about to hit them. Not ideal.

Short of stopping and getting out every wheel turn to have a look, what's a better way of dealing with this? Are there special types of glasses you can get that cut the glare down totally?

There's a post on the first page that goes into a bit of detail - these glasses are meant to be very good for reducing glare.