According to numerous sources more accidents occur in the Spring and in the Fall seasons than at any other time of the year. The main culprit is the sun and the glare that occurs when the sun is lower on the horizon.
Following are some tips that will help keep both you and your family safe while driving in the suns glare:
- Keep your windshield clean, both on the inside and outside. Dust and dirt can amplify the sun glare effect on your windshield.
- Avoid putting high-gloss products on your dashboard.
- Wear sunglasses that have polarized lenses and UV protection & use your sun visor.
- When driving with the sun to your back it is a good idea to turn on your headlights so drivers coming toward you who are facing the sun have a better chance of seeing your vehicle.
- Increase the distance between your vehicle and the one ahead of you.
- It takes the average person’s eyes 10 seconds to recover from a glare situation – plan accordingly.
- Slow down, even below the posted speed. You can be ticketed when driving at the speed limit in hazardous road conditions. Treat glare the same as you would fog or rain.
No matter who you are, what your driving experience is or your age, glare can cause conditions to be dangerous. The Highway Safety Institute has said that 38.5 percent of drivers involved in crashes related to glare exposure were of “age 45 years and older and that a 55-year-old’s eyes takes eight times longer to recover from glare than a 16-year-old.” Age can be a factor in knowing you need to take even more precautionary measures while driving in the suns glare.
Following are two examples of the damaging effects that the suns glare can have on a person’s life.
“My daughter was hit and killed on Nov-10-11, she was 9 years old crossing an intersection on her way to school, and the woman that hit her claims that she was blinded by the sun at the time of the incident. I am not sure why she continued through an intersection if she could not see, especially since she was a local and was aware that children travel by foot to school across that street every school-day. To me, blaming the billion year old sun will never be enough to justify the loss of my daughter.”
“I was heading east and waiting for the Green Arrow that would give me the go-ahead to make a left turn onto the Freeway. The Green Arrow came on and even squinting I could barely make it out. I took my foot off the break and proceeded to make my left turn. A few seconds later another car heading West came directly out of the rising Sun – ran the light and hit me almost head on. Both cars were totaled. “
The Parrish Law Firm Personal Injury – Accident Attorney works with Northern Virginia residents who have been injured because of another party’s negligence and are looking for fair compensation. Contact us today for a free case consultation or call us at 703-906-4229.
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A representative of the Parrish Law Firm, PLLC researched and wrote this article with Mr. Parrish’s consent. If you have any questions regarding the legal implications of what you have just read, please send us your question by clicking here so we can have our attorney review it.
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