Understanding Why South Florida Car Accidents Are Caused By The Setting Sun

Driving off into the setting sun may sound romantic like the movies portray, but the reality is that looking into the sun can affect a driver’s vision. Unfortunately, sunsets and occasional sun glares can impair a driver’s eye sight and driving ability. In fact, the sun can be so intense that it can temporarily blind a driver.

Although sun glare is dangerous year-round and at different times of the day, it is the most dangerous during the evening rush hour during this time of the year. As people are getting off work and commuting home, sometimes they have to drive into the setting sun. Even if they have their sunglasses on and their sunshade visors pulled down, sometimes the sun is shining so intensely that even those factors don’t help.

When the sun causes a bad glare, drivers may not be able to see the following things:

• another car
• pedestrian
• bicyclist
• signal light
• stop signs
• lane markings

When drivers aren’t able to see these things due to the sun glare, car accidents in Fort Lauderdale and all throughout South Florida are the result. It’s hard to think of a sunset as bad thing, but the harsh reality is that driving into a sunset can be very dangerous. If the sun’s glare affects a driver’s vision, that driver might run a red light or turn in front of an oncoming motorcycle—causing traffic accidents and even multi-car pileups.

The White-Out Effect

The intensity of the sun’s rays can blind drivers to cars and people sharing the road with them. When a driver has a streaky or dirty windshield, the sun’s rays can reflect off of the dirt and create a bright glare that causes a white-out effect for the driver. This can be very dangerous, causing a driver’s vision to be impaired—a deadly combination when driving.

Unfortunately, some serious and even fatal traffic accidents in South Florida have occurred due to the bright glare from the sun that reflects off of the windshield and causes the white-out effect. If you have suffered broken bones, head trauma, spinal cord injury, internal injuries, or other damages in a car accident caused by a driver who was affected by the sun, contact the Law Office of David Benenfeld at 866-9 HELP NOW or (954) 677-0155 for a free consultation with a personal injury lawyer in Broward County.