# How Badly does Sun Glare effect your driving vision? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 5, 2019, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-badly-does-sun-glare-effect-your-driving-vision/836593 "2019-07-05T21:19:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![SpeedwayRyan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@SpeedwayRyan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpeedwayRyan)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2019, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-badly-does-sun-glare-effect-your-driving-vision/836593/41 "2019-07-08T15:21:26Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Other car crumpled. That’s why I don’t drive a compact. The bigger vehicle usually has less damage after fender benders. “I drive a big car so that when I just blindly nail the gas and crash into someone, the other guy’s car will get more damaged than mine” is an interesting philosophy. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2019, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-badly-does-sun-glare-effect-your-driving-vision/836593/42 "2019-07-08T17:08:30Z")
Sunglasses definitely help a lot, sun glare doesn’t blind me but it’s definitely unpleasant. Polarized glasses help a lot, and are essential in my current car because without them I see the dashboard reflected on the windshield even not in direct sunlight. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2019, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-badly-does-sun-glare-effect-your-driving-vision/836593/43 "2019-07-08T18:34:31Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > How Badly does Sun Glare effect your driving vision? affect > [@](#): > > Other car crumpled. That’s why I don’t drive a compact. The bigger vehicle usually has less damage after fender benders. I used to work in crash test analysis for Ford. More damage to the car generally means less damage to you, all other things being equal. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2019, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-badly-does-sun-glare-effect-your-driving-vision/836593/44 "2019-07-08T19:05:00Z")
It depends. Sunrise or sunset, when the sun is too low on the horizon to be blocked by the visor, it can be absolutely blinding. Other times of day the visor is sufficient. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2019, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-badly-does-sun-glare-effect-your-driving-vision/836593/45 "2019-07-08T19:46:00Z")
I keep two pair of sunglasses in the car. Can’t tell you how many fall days I’ve worn them on the drive to work, & then when I get out of car. Once in work, they go into my jacket pocket but it’s too dark to need them after work. Of course, since the weather’s different the next day they end up at home, in the coat closet, keeping the inside of yesterday’s jacket pocket safe from sun glare. :smack: > [@aceplace57](#): > > I was crossing in front of three lanes of traffic. The left turn signal was about to cycle off. There’s an urgency to get clear before those cars start moving. > > I can’t pinpoint when I realized the glare was overwhelming. The entire turn took under 10 to 15 secs. I did start breaking just before hitting the car. > > Low speeds made a big difference in the outcome. Air bags didn’t even deploy. So what you’re saying is that you entered the intersection before you could clear it & that you decided it would be better to proceed, not knowing what was in front of you rather than to create gridlock? The cross traffic, facing a different direction than you wouldn’t have the same sun glare you did; there’s no reason they shouldn’t be able to see your non-moving car in the intersection before they proceed. Further, this wasn’t a swerve to avoid a suddenly-appearing squirrel (something you shouldn’t do anyway, you’re far more likely to crash in that instance) but something that played out over a period of seconds, at low speed driving. Sorry, but I gotta agree with those that said you should consider giving up driving. ---
**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2019, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-badly-does-sun-glare-effect-your-driving-vision/836593/46 "2019-07-08T21:30:11Z")
I’ve worn sunglasses while driving almost as long as I’ve been driving and I also fully endorse **enipla** ’s point about decent lenses. I have two pairs, one in each car, plus multiples for riding bike. I’m on my second pair of Maui Jims and they are hands down the best pair of sunglasses I’ve owned. They kick the crap out of the many Oakleys, Serengetis and Ray-Bans I’ve had over the years. ---
**Author:** ![Daylate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9dc877/32.png) [@Daylate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daylate)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2019, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-badly-does-sun-glare-effect-your-driving-vision/836593/47 "2019-07-08T22:12:16Z")
I drive two days a week south on I-5 between Marysville and Seattle (about 35 to 40 miles. I absolutely hate sunny days in December thru February. The sun is so low here that except at high noon it comes in under the visor, and you can’t get away from it if you’re facing anywhere to the south. And that blasted Seattle sun is so bright that it’s just like looking at an arc welder. I’ve seen it so bad that the traffic sometimes slows down to almost 55 mph. Around here that’s something. Don’t let anybody tell you that we have only rain in the winter. I usually leave work around 3:30 PM but that sun is so awful that I’ve taken to staying an extra hour so the damned thing can at least start to set. ---
**Author:** ![Thylacine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thylacine/32/1143_2.png) [@Thylacine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thylacine)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2019, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-badly-does-sun-glare-effect-your-driving-vision/836593/48 "2019-07-09T05:55:17Z")
This just came through my news feed [Driver who crashed into car as he adjusted sun visor found guilty over 84-year-old man's death - ABC News](http://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-07-09/perth-fatal-crash-driver-who-was-adjusting-sun-visor-guilty/11291722) ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2019, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-badly-does-sun-glare-effect-your-driving-vision/836593/49 "2019-07-09T13:48:46Z")
> [@SpeedwayRyan](#): > > “I drive a big car so that when I just blindly nail the gas and crash into someone, the other guy’s car will get more damaged than mine” is an interesting philosophy. It’s the American Way! 😃 [Canyonero](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zau8Hb6UCn4) ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2019, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-badly-does-sun-glare-effect-your-driving-vision/836593/50 "2019-07-09T14:37:11Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I had a traffic wreck last Sunday. > > I was at a light waiting for a left turn. Light changed and I started making the turn. The setting sun caught me directly in the eyes. I’ve never been blinded so badly before. > > I hit a car, head on waiting to make a left on that other road. I was at least 6 feet too far over, towards the middle of that road. I cut my wheels much too hard. > > I’ve never worn sunglasses except on the water. Car visor and squinting has always worked. I was reaching for the Car Visor just as I hit that car. > > Now I’m wondering if my age is catching up with me. That sun glare was Painful! It was at the worst possible angle to catch me square in the eyes. Very similar to the horrible glare you encounter driving a boat or visiting a sandy beach. > > How Badly does Sun Glare effect your driving vision? Sunglasses plus visor Before you need it. BTW, I randomly capitalized “Before” to match your writing style. What’s with the random Capital letters? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-badly-does-sun-glare-effect-your-driving-vision/836593.md?page=2)