to feel I'm dicing with death whilst driving at sunrise?

[MilkAndSevenSugars]

I only passed my driving test a few weeks ago. I drive to work (dropping DD off at nursery on the way) every Monday at 7.30am. Every week (but especially this week - sunrise getting later maybe), I honestly feel I'm dicing with death as the visibility is so poor due to the sun blinding me.

I got into work this week actually shaking because the journey was so scary as could barely see anything in front of me. I had the sun visor down and was wearing sunglasses.

I've got a new job and am negotiating the hours, but it seems my boss is pretty keen for an early start. This new journey will involve dual carriageways - for the most part I'll be going up instead of along, but there's still a good 10 minutes of DC driving to the west (or east? the same way as the sunrises anyway).

My colleagues on Monday said it's the same for everyone, and to just drive slower. But I honestly can't believe everyone can barely see! My dad never even wears sunglasses and have never known him to say this was an issue.

Do you have this problem? Do you have any tips to combat it? Is it my car? Is it due to me wearing contact lenses? I'm dreading Monday already but even if I ducked out, changed my DDs nursery hours again and got the bus, my new job is impossible to get to on public transport so I need to sort it out somehow.

You just have to get on with it, everyone does, though I know what you mean.

I'm small, so it's bad for me every autumn and spring. I wear sunglasses, the shade is down all the time and I stay well away from the cars in front.

You could try wearing a cap, that could help.

It's horrible and you have to go through it twice when the clocks change and the sun rises earlier again.

Clean windscreen, inside and out.

Wear high quality polarising sunglasses.

And SLOW DOWN as you would if it was pissing it down with rain.

Are you short, OP?

Short people tend to be more affected because the visor doesn't come down low enough for us. Your dad may be tall enough for the visor to work better.

I get a lot of migraines this time of year, set off by car sun.

I believe they do sell visor extenders or the cheapo version -- sit on a cushion!

It's true - there are moments where you can barely see. You have to slow to as slow as you can manage. You are right though - lots of drivers don't seem to bother. But they are no different to you - they can't see either and they don't have any special driving skills. They just don't care. Stay the way you are - being ultra aware and giving a shit = good driver.

The only tip I have to make sure your windscreen is spotlessly clean. The glare is somehow worse when the windscreen is not very recently cleaned - even if it's quite clean and certainly clean enough for normal conditions. Somehow the glare seems to get exacerbated by the tiniest traces of residue on your windscreen.

I think your colleague is right that everyone is affected as certain times of the year I have it coming home too. Visibility is very poor in low bright sun, and as pp suggested you need to slow down as if it's pouring.
It is irritating but it doesn't last for a very long time. Take it slowly and you should be ok

Get polarised sunglasses as advised by PP.
Adjust your seat up as high as it will go - I only buy cars that have this feature now.

Op if your inside window is grubby it makes it 1000% worse - the layer of dust isn't always obvious until you start cleaning.
Try some cleaning, seriously - I've found newspaper to be the best non streaky option, thanks to a nifty tip from my dad!

Yes I get it this time of year but, even with the clocks going back it only lasts for a few weeks and YWBU to try and arrange work around it.

Polarised sunglasses really do help.

I took my first driving test at 9.00am in early November. Examiner took me on a route I'd never been and I couldn't see a thing. There could have been a brick wall right in front of me for all I could see so I do sympathise.

1. Consider a cushion to raise you up so the visor works better.

1. High quality not just super cheap sunglasses.

1. Glass windscreen inside and out and consider using both types of rained, cleaning the windscreen carefully inside with glass cleaner. The glass cleaner needs loads more cloths than you think to get it off.

Decent polarising or even yellow lens sunglasses

Do NOT sit on a cushion, that’s very dangerous advice, people really should know better.

It is difficult driving into the low sun, you just have to be extra careful and you will get more used to it.

Take comfort that if you drive at the same time every time it’s only going to affect you so badly for a week or so at a time. For the rest of the year it won’t be so bad.

Why is it dangerous ANNieAnonimouse? Asking genuinely as I was offered one by my driving instructor back when I was taking lessons.

Polarised sunglasses will help by reducing sun glare, you can get them prescription if needed or non prescription

My instructor offered me a cushion, too! I don't drive with it though as I actually found it quite uncomfortable. Didn't know about short people struggling with visors, that would explain a lot!!

Everyone has the same thing tbh. If you're short could you get a sun visor extension? (Not sure if they exist).

Sunrise will gradually get later until midwinter (around Christmas) then it will gradually get earlier until mid summer (around 22nd June)

Once the sun gets low, put your lights on. It won't help you but it will help other drivers see you. It's no coincidence that daytime running lights started in Scandinavia where the sun is low a lot more of the time than in more southern countries.

Yes, it affects everyone driving at sunrise, just depends where your head is in relation to your visor for how much it affects you.

Where we live there is a road facing into the sunset where there is a rise in the road and a sudden dip, revealing the bright sun. If you don't know about it you are not prepared for the sudden brightness and can easily have an accident. A lot of drivers go along and put their visors down ready because they know how bad it is. It is an official black spot. Going the other direction in the mornings is not a problem because the rise and dip are reversed and doesn't have the same effect.

With a cushion to raise you up it means the seatbelt is situated incorrectly so doesn't give correct protection, during general driving the cushion slips under you and causes problems, it slides when sudden breaking and accidents occur so is just dangerous.

It's nothing to do with being short or the sun visor not coming down low enough.

If you're heading east as the sun is coming up over the horizon, no visor is going to come down low enough. Or if it did, it would block the entire window screen.

I'm 5'10" and get this driving the kids to school around the shortest day. It's blinding - and no amount of extra height would help, when the sun is especially low.

It's 'orrible. Like other posters, I'm quite small (5'3") and wear sunglasses and have the visor down. A thick foam cushion on the seat to raise you a few inches can help, or a peaked cap.

It's really the same for everyone believe me OP. Can you take a different route that will not have the sun shining in , l am not joikng. I had to do this for years to take the DDS to school.

joking

I know it's been said a few times, but polarised sunglasses make a big difference. You can also have a tinted strip on the top of your windscreen.

You'll find as your confidence and experience in driving improves you'll be able to handle it better.

It affects me too and I'm 5'7 but I've been driving for 22 years (grief I feel old!) and I've got better at it in those years.

Sunglasses, hat, visor, lights on and drive for the conditions on the road. So that means if there is sun glare, slow down and be especially aware of your stopping distances.

You'll be fine. It's great that you are asking for tips.

Oh and practise driving in those conditions when you can, perhaps at the weekend when the roads might be quieter. A few dummy runs on the route will help build that confidence.

Good luck. You can totally do it!

I pump up my seat as far as it will go, alongside sunglasses and visor down. Then keep flicking your eyes back and forth between the edge of the road markings and the cars around you. You have to look less far ahead which means needing more stopping time - so going slower for sure. Don't let anyone pressure you into going faster.

Getting as high up as possible is really the key so you can look down somewhat. But again looking down doesn't allow you to look as far ahead as you normally would.