Blinded by the light
Q: In response to the reader who complained about sun blindness, I use something called Battle Visors when the sun is low, and they really help.
— J.S., Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin
A: I searched the web and found that product, which got mixed reviews. While surfing, I also found a slew of other products. To paraphrase an old motto, let your mouse do the walking.
Q: A road-rallying friend taped the tops of his sunglasses. He could block the sun right down to the horizon, and better than a visor. It was instantly adjustable with a tilt of his chin.
— J.K., Chicago
A: Interesting idea. I tried it on a pair of cheap sunglasses using blue painter’s tape. It works. The downside is the inability to see well enough down the road. I advise against Scotch tape.
Q: Several years ago, while driving from the west side of the Las
Vegas valley to my office a couple miles east of the Strip, the morning sun would be right in my eyes. One day I came up with (what I thought) was a brilliant idea. Build the shade/tint mechanism into the windshield. A sensor determines the height of the driver’s eyes and where the visor needs to appear to block the sun.
— C.E., Las Vegas. Nevada
A: That is a brilliant idea. Read on.
Q: I happen to work for Bosch and know that the Bosch Mobility Solutions has developed a potential solution that integrates a transparent LCD visor with a driver-monitoring camera. The LCD visor blocks the sunlight from the driver’s field of view while still allowing the driver to see the road ahead through the portion of the LCD surface that remains transparent. Bosch is currently testing this solution in Michigan, and you can find out more about it here: bosch-mobility-solutions.us
— Thomas Boege, Hanover Park, Illinois
A: It looks way cool, possibly brilliant, and I want it.
Bob Weber is a writer and mechanic who became an ASE-certified Master Automobile Technician in 1976. He maintains this status by seeking certification every five years. Weber’s work appears in professional trade magazines and other consumer publications.
His writing also appears in automotive trade publications, Consumer Guide and Consumers Digest.