Other than wearing sunglasses and pulling the sunshade down, a driver can do more. — dpa
BERLIN: Driving off into the sunset may sound like the rosy end of a Hollywood film, but it's actually a pain. It can be near impossible to see properly when driving towards a low sun, and folding down a blind can only do so much.
Even at 30kph, you cover about two car lengths in a second when the sun dazzles you. Road safety experts suggest doing these three things when the sun is low.
> Keep it high: Raise your seat if you can, and fold down the blind if you haven't already done so. Ideally, you should also have a pair of sunglasses ready for such situations.
> Keep your distance: Squinting your eyes might feel like it helps, but it's only reducing your vision. That's why you should always be ready to brake and try to keep a bit more distance to cars ahead of you.
Traffic accident reports show the risk of a crash when the sun is low is significantly higher when turning and merging. That means it's better to check twice whether another car, cyclist or pedestrian is entering your path.
> Keep it clean: Cleaning your car isn't just a cosmetic matter. Streaks on your windscreen will only make things worse in such situations as they increase the sun's glare effect.
