I can’t seem to turn on the television recently without hearing about a horrific car accident that led to fatalities or serious injuries. One of them involves an 80 year old Plymouth woman, who was seriously injured and later died due to her injuries. She collided with a school bus as the bus was leaving a parking lot, her husband and granddaughter were also in the car but thankfully, they both suffered non-life threatening injuries. Police stated that the glare of the sun had a major role in the accident, and it is likely that the driver did not see the bus as she was driving.
Driving on a beautiful sunny day, whether it is in the summer or winter, can be both great and not so great. On one hand, you have the sun out and beautiful clear skies to accompany the nice scenery. On the other hand, you have this blinding sun that you can’t seem to get away from. I am the type of driver that considers leaving a gap between me and the car in front of me if it means that the sun will not be in my eyes, while I wait for the light to turn green. I think it, but I rarely/never do it. For some reason, drivers tend to get mad if you leave more than a 5 inch gap between you and the car in front of you, who knew?
Since there is no way to get around driving while the sun is in our eyes, considering that most of us drive either right after the sun has risen or just before the sun sets, which just happen to be the most dangerous and blinding times. Below are some tips to make the unavoidable a little more bearable.
- Wear polarized sunglasses to help reduce the glare caused by the sun.
- Keep your windshield clean, and definitely do this before your trip or if it is not possible to do before your trip, do it when you come to a stop. I think we all know what happens when you decide to spray windshield washer fluid while driving into the sun. (total and complete blindness)
- Use your sun visor; it’s there for a reason.
- Leave a decent amount of space between you and the driver in front of you while at the same time lowering your speed.
- Drive with your headlights on to increase your visibility to other motorists on the road.
- Avoid having papers/envelopes stored on your dashboard, nothing like white to reflect sunlight.
If you are the victim of a car accident that involves the sun glare, don’t hesitate to contact an experienced car accident lawyer at Mazow | McCullough at (855) 693-9084 for a consultation.
