7 Tips to Avoid Light Glare While Driving at Night

Having clear vision is always important, but while driving road visibility is imperative. Nighttime driving can become difficult quickly when dealing with glare. Glare is caused by harsh, bright light that momentarily impairs your vision. Luckily, glare can be minimized by following these preventative measures.

Tips to Reduce Glare When Driving at Night

1. Clean your windshield.

   Glare can be caused by steaks and grime that can be found on your windshield, mirrors and windows. To prevent windshield glare at night, routinely clean the inside and outside of your windshield.

2. Repair any scratches or cracks.

   Scratches and cracks can inhibit your vision while driving and can contribute to bad glare when driving at night. If you have any scratches or cracks, it’s a good idea to get them fixed quickly.

3. Clean your wiper blades.

   Have you ever used your wipers, and realized it made it worse? Cleaning your wipers by simply running a paper towel or cloth along them should do the trick.

4. Clean your headlights.

   Dirty headlights can block light and reduce your visibility. Make sure you clean your headlights with a wet cloth and a polish to improve visibility and protect other drivers from glare.

5. Adjust your mirrors.

   To reduce the amount of light you directly look at, flip your rearview mirror  clip to “night” mode to dim. Check that each side mirror on the vehicle is adjusted properly for your height.

6. Wear sunglasses during the day.

   It’s important to protect your eyes from the sun during the day. Extended exposure can cause your eyes to strain which can inhibit your vision while driving at night. If you have difficulty driving at night due to glare, consider seeing your doctor about no-glare corrective lenses, which are specially designed glasses for driving at night that reduce glare.

7. Avoid looking at oncoming traffic’s headlights.

Looking directly into lights coming from oncoming traffic can momentarily cloud your vision and cause disorientation. While driving, it’s a good idea to keep your eye on the white line to the right of your vehicle to reduce vision disruption.

Following these preventive measures can minimize the likelihood of a glare-related accident. Remember to be mindful of other drivers as well, and to turn your lights on low while around other vehicles. Although there are less cars on the road while driving at night, the National Safety Council reports 50% of traffic accidents happen at night. Meet with your Farm Bureau agent to make sure your vehicle is covered in case of an accident.