The 7 Best Ways To Teach Your Teen About Driving In Bright Sunlight or Glare

I am Seth Smiley of the Smiley Law Firm, and today in the Parents of Teen Drivers Facebook Group, our topic is, “The 7 best ways to teach your teen about driving in bright sunlight or Sun glare.” The latest teen driving statistics make for horrific reading so we need to always be on the lookout to make things safer. It would help if you kept reminding your teenagers to follow teen driving laws and that they are there for a reason. Sun glare is a big issue when teens (or anybody else) are behind the wheel, so we need to warn them about the dangers. In my law practice, we have had clients who have hit bikers due to not seeing them because of the sunlight coming at an angle. With this in mind, here are the 7 best ways to teach your teen about driving in bright sunlight or glare:

1. Drive defensively

It would help if you reminded your teen to drive extra cautiously, leave extra room, and follow the speed limit because they will need to be able to react quickly to the impaired vision from glare.

1. Get tinted windows

Tint on the windows can prevent temporary blindness while driving and help deal with the sun and sun glare.

1. Look at the lines on the road

Instead of staring into the sun, you can look alternatively at the car in front and then the lines in the road. Go back and forth, so you don’t get blinded by the sun. It also works at nighttime if someone has their lights on too brightly.

1. Put your headlights on if it is bright

Having daytime running lights can help oncoming drivers to see you when the sun is bright.

1. Know how to use the sun visor

If you position the sun visor correctly, it can block out the sun completely, but still, allow enough vision to see the road correctly.

1. Invest in some good quality Polaroid sunglasses

Regular sunglasses can help, but Polaroid versions offer much more. They mainly help with sun glare from water, paintwork and glass. They are worth the investment.

1. Be aware of the time of day your teen is driving

The glare in my area can be intense early in the morning when I am driving to work. Make your kid’s aware of when it is extra bright and remind them to take it extra safe behind the wheel.

Sunlight and glare are real issues that you need to be aware of. You might consider an advanced teen driving course for your kids as it will focus on extra safety measures.

If you have any experience with driving in the sun, or bad glare or whatever, we would love to have your input. Just comment below. Let’s start to make a positive change in teen driving accident statistics!

Thank you.