It’s terrible when the sun hits your windshield at that perfect angle to cause intense glare. Suddenly, the whole window is bright white, and you can’t see anything. This often happens near sunset or sunrise, but it can also happen when it’s raining and the sun peeks through the clouds.
No matter how it happens, there’s a good chance that this could cause an accident. Drivers cite glare every year in accident cases, saying they were doing all they could, but they just couldn’t see.
However, it’s important to note that the driver is still to blame in this situation. If a driver can’t see well enough to drive safely, he or she needs to slow down or stop so as not to put others at risk. If a driver says that glare caused him or her to run a stop sign without seeing it, for example, that’s not an excuse that’s going to hold up in court. Drivers are responsible for driving safely in any weather, and this falls into that category.
There are ways to counter glare. Drivers can have glare-reducing windshields, they can wear sunglasses, or they can use the visors that are at the top of every windshield in every car. Yes, the driver may have felt helpless when the glare struck, but it’s still that driver’s responsibility not to cause an accident, and no one else is to blame.
If you were injured in a crash caused by the glare of the sun, don’t let the driver make excuses. Look into your legal rights and find out just what type of compensation you may be eligible for in Indiana.
Source: Osceola Garage, “Summer Time Dangers of Driving in the Sun,” accessed June 24, 2016
