July 7, 2022
Abby Nuttall
Driver Articles
As we get ready to enter another heatwave in the UK we wanted to help prepare you for one aspect of driving that’s not always top priority – the sun. The sun can be a dangerous hazard when driving as it can restrict your vision, impairing your ability to make decisions and drive safely which is why we’ve put together our five best practices to help you minimise the impact.
Wessex Fleet’s Top Five Tips for Driving in the Sun
1. Wear Sunglasses
The first thing that you can do to combat bright sun, whether you’re in the car or not, is to wear suitable sunglasses.
We recommend investing in a pair of polarised sunglasses for the car as they are designed to filter sun rays that are reflected off surfaces like water or glass meaning they’ll protect you from the direct sun light and flections from the windscreen.
You also want to pick a pair with the CE mark on them, as this means they’ve been tested to European safety standards and will protect your eyes from UV rays and the damage they cause.
If you’re able to we recommend keeping a pair of glasses in the car so that you can easily reach them when on the move.
2. Use Your Visor
Car sun visors are specifically designed to block the direct sunlight from your vision without blocking your view of the road ahead. This makes them a great choice for blocking direct sunlight into your eyes and can be used along with sunglasses to provide more coverage.
Some visors can be pulled out and turned to block the sun from your side window as well if you are travelling parallel to it rather than towards it. This can be especially useful as sun glasses don’t always restrict light from the side depending on their design.
As they can reduce the overall light entering your field of vision using the visor is a great choice regardless of if you’re wearing sunglasses or not.
3. Keep it Clean
One thing that can massively increase the glare of the sun from your vehicle is dirt. During the summer dirt and dust can build up on the vehicle exterior and interior, and this can cause the light to reflect in a different way than it usually would.
It will be most notable for you on the windscreen, windows and bonnet. We recommend regularly clearing these areas of any built-up dirt, which you can do with simply a cloth and some water.
For the glasswork you may wish to use an additional microfibre cloth to dry it and avoid water streaks causing a further visibility problem. You might also want to use glass spray to clean them, inside and out, for a sharper finish but this is not essential.
4. Look After Your Windscreen
It’s not just dirt that can be a problem on your windscreen, but the condition of the glass itself. Chips and cracks can cause the glass to refract light in an unusual way that can distract and even temporarily blind you.
In general, we recommend getting any chips and cracks fixed as soon as you spot them on the vehicle to avoid them becoming any worse and more costly repairs or replacement. This is essential during the summer when there is bright sunlight regularly as it can be a major hazard when driving.
5. Invest in a Sun Screen
It’s not just the driver who can be affected by sun glare, but also the passengers. If you regularly have passengers in your rear seats, then you might want to invest in a couple of sun shades that attach to the window and reduce the light coming into the vehicle.
You can’t use them on the front windows due to them blocking driver visibility but they’re a great solution for the rear seats.
They are a great choice if you are not the owner of the vehicle, so if it is a company car or lease and you’re not able to tint the windows, which would be a more permanent option.
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