Sun In My Eyes!

Big Nasty

As the Autumn sets in and heads for Winter the sun gets lower and lower in the sky each evening until it's finally dark around 4.30pm in November. It also seems like we have more clear evenings this time of the year or maybe I'm just noticing it more as the sun is so low in the sky between 4.30-6.30pm. This evening, with the weather being so good and the sun visor down, I still found it genuinely difficult to see other cars properly as the sun was blinding me sideways. It was then that I thought to myself would the use of fog lights front and rear be adviseable in situations like this in order to make other vehicles more visible in the truly blinding sun?

I know fog light threads are generally frowned upon in this forum but this evening I thought there use would have made the roads a little safer........

coylemj

With the sun shining low in the sky, cars driving around with fog lights switched on would only make it even more difficult to spot pedestrians.

peasant

Normal, dipped lights will do just fine ...that and a thorough clean of all your glass, inside and out

CiniO

Why fog light???
They are to be used in fog.

Especially rear one - it's really annoying to drive behind someone who is using them.
In most EU countries using read fog light, is only allowed when visibility is limited by fog to less then 50m.


Why don't you just think about switchin normal dipped headlighs on?

Big Nasty

peasant wrote: »

Normal, dipped lights will do just fine ...that and a thorough clean of all your glass, inside and out

+1 on that one! Probably more needed than anything else the last couple weeks.

Big Nasty

CiniO wrote: »

Why fog light???
They are to be used in fog.

Especially rear one - it's really annoying to drive behind someone who is using them.
In most EU countries using read fog light, is only allowed when visibility is limited by fog to less then 50m.


Why don't you just think about switchin normal dipped headlighs on?

I actually drive with dipped / side lights on all the time, have done since I was working in Germany in the late 90's for the very same reason - visibility.

Maybe it was just the direction of the sun this evening but on my route home, even with the visor down, I found it truly difficult to see other vehicles as the sun was shining directly in my face at quite a low level. In that particular case I thought I could better see other vehicles if they had there fogs on.

opinion guy

You need good quality sun glasses for driving

Bonito

Make sure there's no grease/dust/residue on your windows and keep a trusty pair of sun glasses in the car.

Big Nasty

opinion guy wrote: »

You need good quality sun glasses for driving

Bonito wrote: »

Make sure there's no grease/dust/residue on your windows and keep a trusty pair of sun glasses in the car.

Windows clean and wearing prescription shades plus visor down and it was still ****e - hence my suggestion.

Bonito

MCMLXXV wrote: »

Windows clean and wearing prescription shades plus visor down and it was still ****e - hence my suggestion.

Pickle.

Worst thing is when you get a sun shower and on some roads the glare of the sun blinds the ****e out of you.

Cookie_Monster

Bonito wrote: »

Make sure there's no grease/dust/residue on your windows and keep a trusty pair of sun glasses in the car.

+1, the low angle really shows up the muck on the windows
polarised sun glasses are the way to go

cian1500ww

Need to get sunglasses as well, sun always seems to be rising when I'm on the road in the morning and setting when I'm on my way home in the evening.

johnos1984

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

polarised sun glasses are the way to go

I have a good pair, they make me look like a hitman when driving but they are great.:cool:

I also find them good during heavy rain when there is a lot of glare

Loveless

cian1500ww wrote: »

Need to get sunglasses as well, sun always seems to be rising when I'm on the road in the morning and setting when I'm on my way home in the evening.

Unlucky :rolleyes:

langdang

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

+1, the low angle really shows up the muck on the windows
polarised sun glasses are the way to go

Just to emphasise this guys, normal tinted shades aren't worth a sheet with the sun at winter angles - you def need POLARIZED shades - blocks out that annoying reflection off wet roads. Same reason people use them when fishing on rivers.

They're not even expensive, ALDI/LIDL regularly do them for a fiver. Your local chemist will have them for 20/25euro.

Can't believe the RSA can't publicise this, (along with other basic stuff like spare bulbs and hi-vis jackets in your car) many people don't realise the difference between normal shades and polarised shades, and how useful they are?

Alun

MCMLXXV wrote: »

This evening, with the weather being so good and the sun visor down, I still found it genuinely difficult to see other cars properly as the sun was blinding me sideways.

Most sun visors will unclip at one end and swing round to cover the side windows instead of the windscreen to cover exactly that eventuality.

Wibbs

I reckon this got worse with the steeper angle of car windows over the years. Another problem I found in some cars is the reflection from the shiny dashboard. Why dont manufacturers make more of an effort to kill that reflection? You see race cars with suede or flocked dashboards to reduce this.

neilthefunkeone

Sunglasses and keep the windscreen clean inside and out.. Wont have a problem..

Can somone edit the ops post.. Guarantee someone will read the first post and think its a good idea!:rolleyes:

Hal1

Clean the window inside with some autoglym fast glass. Top up your washer with some screen wash for the outside.

Big Nasty

Windows are clean in and out, sun-visor down and sun glasses on and visibility is still difficult with the glare of the low sun. Looks like it will be similar this evening to yesterday so check to see how bad it is on your way home!!!

TwoShedsJackson

johnos1984 wrote: »

I have a good pair, they make me look like a hitman when driving but they are great.:cool:

You say this like it's a bad thing :pac:

Wertz

You need better glasses. Light transmission 10% or less, polarised preferrable but not essential, contrast type lens rather than neutral base.
That can be a problem if you also need a corrective lens though.

I don't even put down the sunshade, my windscreen has some very fine scratches from wiper/road grit combination and I can still see enough to drive directly into the evening sun. Seeing people's brakelights can be a problme but I just make sure and keep a decent gap.

I'm always amazed by the procession of drivers who spin about at this time of year with no eye protection on...it's downright dangerous.

Orando Broom

peasant wrote: »

Normal, dipped lights will do just fine ...that and a thorough clean of all your glass, inside and out

How do you clean the windows? What do you use? Also I find that a film builds up on the windscreen, what do you use to get rid of it.

VinnyTGM

Orando Broom wrote: »

How do you clean the windows? What do you use? Also I find that a film builds up on the windscreen, what do you use to get rid of it.

Any window cleaner will do, either use paper towels or a microfibre cloth.
You can alo get glass polishes such as autoglym glass polish.

*Use ammonia free cleaner on tints or else they will eat through them.

Orando Broom

VinnyTGM wrote: »

Any window cleaner will do, either use paper towels or a microfibre cloth.
You can alo get glass polishes such as autoglym glass polish.

*Use ammonia free cleaner on tints or else they will eat through them.

Ah I was hoping for some wonder tip!

Bonito

Rubbing shaving gel into the window stops it fogging up (rub it in dry and don't leave streaks!!!)

If nobody believes me then try it on your bathroom mirror 1st and next time you have a shower I bet your mirror wont be steamed up. :cool: