Keep your view clear this winter
Make sure the view out your windshield is clear this winter — especially when the sun shines
While we all enjoy some bright sunshine on a cold and blustery winter’s day, the low-angle attitude of our celestial life-giver can cause temporary motoring blindness, leaving us painfully squinting to try to make out objects in our path. Short of resorting to illegal windshield tinting, what other options do sun-blinded drivers have?
Before heading to the tint shop, know that all jurisdictions in Canada outlaw any type of postfactory tinting to windshields — even darkening the existing band at the top. Some drivers are happy to take this risk, knowing not only the costs of installation and possible removal of a tintband are relatively inexpensive, but also being aware that even with new and tougher legislation in certain areas, police officers still have some discretion. But there are legal and inexpensive alternatives that can help us navigate our sunny ways.
First of all, keep it clean. No, using a case of windshield washer fluid during a week of winter commuting, or running though a car wash doesn’t count. Salt, road grit, grime, and oils can leave a film on glass that routine spritzes and sprays won’t clean off. That film can wreak havoc with your eyes, when strong and direct light hits the glass at just the right angle. The solution is to clean both sides of the glass on a regular basis, with a proper glass cleaner. Yes, even that life-hack favourite of vinegar and water will do the trick.
Next, use your sun visors correctly. If this was truly a nobrainer, we wouldn’t see drivers with permanent squint lines on their faces every day and their sun-visors permanently seized from lack of use. Simply angle them to provide maximum glare protection and outward views forward. If they have horizontal extenders, use them to cover more of the upper glass area. Even aftermarket visor extenders are available, but remember that police discretion? If the extender’s glass is too dark or an officer decides it’s blocking your windshield vision in any way, you may earn a citation and fine. By the way, those rules also apply to anything dangling from your rear view mirror.
Don’t shine up your dashboard, either. While most know applying certain cleaners or refinishers to a vinyl dash is a no-no due to the glare they can create, some eyes are sensitive to even the flattest of untreated dash-material finishes. There are fabric or carpeted dashboard covers out there, usually designed and made to cover up unsightly cracks in older vehicles. But the less-reflective nature of their materials can help reduce glare as well.
Finally, sunglasses — obviously. No matter what you do to reduce glare, sometimes only sunglasses or clip-on shades will do. They offer the benefit of keeping the view ahead free of obstructions, such as sun-visors placed too low. You should really keep a pair, especially if they’re polarized, in your car at all times.