A wise man once said, “The sun was in my eyes, Astrid! What do you want me to do, block out the sun? I can do that, but I don’t have the time right now!”
To many of us, Snotlout Jorgenson’s words from How to Train Your Dragon are relatable in more ways than one. The sun will always rise in the east and set in the west. We still have Daylight Savings Time twice a year, and we still need to travel to school, even though the sun tries its best to stop us.
From my own personal experience on Lancaster Avenue, sunlight starts to distract me at 7:30 a.m. Even though I am sitting in the back seat, the glare is pretty obvious. As my parents start to drive slower due to lower visibility, I tilt my head down, using the brim of my baseball cap to remain in shade.
Sun glare affects not only drivers on the road, but also professional athletes trying to catch a touchdown pass to win a game.
It’s the sun, the big yellow orb floating in the sky for twelve hours a day.
Eagles fans were delighted in November as Dallas Cowboys’ receiver CeeDee Lamb lost track of the ball in the endzone due to the sunlight in his eyes. Later, Lamb commented to the Dallas Morning News that he was “1000%” in favor of installing curtains in AT&T Stadium to address the sun issue. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, though, brushed off the thought.
Jerry Jones is not alone in dismissing issues like sun glare as a bad excuse, which is why people rarely ever talk about it. It’s the sun, the big yellow orb floating in the sky for twelve hours a day. Sure, it gets in your eyes when you least want it to, but this inconvenience happens to everyone. People wear sunglasses and hats, and football players wear eye black. It didn’t help Lamb, but you get my point. Besides, it’s not like there’s a brightness setting that you can adjust to have a more pleasant driving experience, so you just deal with it. Sun glare is no big deal, right?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, sun glare is not something we should shrug off. It contributes to 9,000 traffic accidents each year, equating to a third of all daytime traffic accidents. In Colorado, major roads are closed at specific times due to the blinding sunlight.
Teachers often have a story or two about their experience with sun glare.
“Sun glare is a problem every morning on my commute to school—as long as it’s a sunny day!” Science teacher Ms. Carol O’Brien said. “Since I come into school east on Lancaster, it can be quite a problem. The intersection of Pennswood Road is most challenging—it’s hard to see the traffic light at times.”
“I usually stay off of Lancaster Avenue, so that’s really not an issue for me. But mornings on Montgomery are terrible.”
Mr. Donald Holdren
Music teacher Mr. Don Holdren avoids the road, but he doesn’t seem to have better luck on Montgomery. “I usually stay off of Lancaster Avenue, so that’s really not an issue for me. But mornings on Montgomery are terrible,” Mr. Holdren said.
“Thankfully, there are a lot of trees, so that does help, but in the places where there is no shade, it seems like the sun is directly in my eyes most of the time,” Mr. Holdren said.
Sun glare is unavoidable when driving to school, so what can be done to stay safe on the road? Mr. Holdren and Ms. O’Brien have some advice.
“I’m not sure what advice [I have] other than [to] wear polarized sunglasses and adjust the visors,” Ms. O’Brien said. “Avoiding driving during sunrise and sunset isn’t always practical advice!”
Mr. Holdren adds, “It’s also important to drive carefully, be extra aware of your surroundings, and observe the speed limit.”
Pennsylvania State Police experts offer a great deal of tips for managing the sun on the road. Clean your windshield weekly: a crystal clear windshield is less reflective. Sun visors built into cars also prove useful; they’re included for a reason. Invest in sunglasses, especially a polarized pair, since they significantly reduce glare. Both Mr. Holdren and Ms. O’Brien do. Turning on your headlights can also help make you more visible to others.
If the situation on the road is simply too dangerous, though, pull over. The sun shines regardless, so managing glare is always important. It’s always better to be safe than sorry, especially when driving.
