Readers offer advice to driver blinded by sunlight
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.
Forget what I paid, but I think it was around $10. — 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 of 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. So, no matter who is driving or which direction they are going, the tinted area automatically appears where and when it is needed. — C.E., Las Vegas
A: That is a brilliant idea. Read on.
Q: When reading Motormouth today I saw a question from a reader who was looking for an improved sun visor. I happen to work for
Bosch and know that 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.
Q: I have a 2006 Hyundai Elantra that has 81,000 miles and runs great. The problem is, it has rust on the bottom on each side of the car, plus a few holes. Can this problem be fixed, and is it worth getting fixed? — R.S., Chicago
A: The bottoms you refer to are called the rocker panels. The rust is quite common on Elentras and, even if repaired, usually returns. It can be fixed, temporarily, but probably not worth it.
Q: Way back in the ’70s, a friend had a Monte Carlo with front seats that rotated. To facilitate entry/exit, the seats swiveled with the touch of a lever. I am surprised that I’ve not seen that innovative and convenient feature before or since. Do any manufacturers offer that swiveling seat nowadays, or was that also declared “Unsafe at Any Speed”? — J.H., Hutto, Texas
A: Several GM cars of the 1970s offered swivel seats, and Chrysler offered them in the 1960s. As a factory option, they may have gone away, but aftermarket swivel seats are available. They range from a simple swivel placed on the car’s seat up to motorized units that can extend out from the car and even lower once deployed. Several carmakers are once again considering swivel seats and have shown concept cars with them. By the way, Ralph Nader has a new book, “The Ralph Nader and Family Cookbook.”