One of the most important of the senses on the road is eyesight! Drivers need to be vigilant at all times and observe not only their own driving, but also the dangers posed by other drivers, pedestrians and even animals.
We often refer to South Africa in tourism brochures as “Sunny South Africa” – a true reflection not only to tourism potential, but also a confirmation of the need to care for our eyes!
It is essential to wear the correct eye protection when driving in sunny weather. The most dangerous conditions are caused by glare resulting from intense sunlight – reflected from the road surface, the bonnet, windscreen or dashboard of your car. This is the most common and dangerous visual problem when driving, outside of simply uncorrected vision.
Many sun glare accidents happen in the early morning or late afternoon, when the sun is on the horizon and little protection is offered by a car’s sun visor. Unfortunately, these times coincide perfectly with rush hour and the beginning of school days, making accidents more likely.
Glare is bothersome and discomforting; causing your eyes to work even harder. Your pupils contract, your eyelids narrow and the muscles around your eyes contract. Your eyes must strain to see well, causing squinting, eye fatigue, and in extreme cases, even temporary blindness. In daylight, glare can occur when walking indoors to outdoors, moving from shade to sunlight, even from reflected light off of surfaces like cars or sidewalks. At night, glare can occur from oncoming headlights while driving, or from bright reflections off of wet roads, even signs.
Accidents due to sun glare occur frequently—there is however a simple way to help prevent this. Polarized sunglasses are available from your eye doctor and not only protect your eyes from dangerous UV rays, but also protect you from the dangers of sun glare.
We would like to advise road users to visit the Arrive Alive Website for the sections: