Quick answer
When low sun dazzles you, lower your sun visor, put on sunglasses and slow down. Keep the inside and outside of your windscreen clean, because smears scatter light and worsen glare. If you truly cannot see, be prepared to stop. Remember other drivers may be dazzled and might not see you.
Low sun is one of the most underrated hazards on UK roads. It appears at predictable times, mainly early in the morning and late in the afternoon, and it gets worse in autumn and winter when the sun stays low in the sky for much of the day. Instead of being safely overhead, it sits right in your eyeline, pointing straight down the road at you.
The danger is not just discomfort. Fierce glare can completely wash out your view, hiding pedestrians stepping off the kerb, cyclists, brake lights, and even the colour showing on traffic signals. A junction you know well can suddenly become a wall of white light. Because your eyes take time to adjust, the moment of dazzle is exactly when you are least able to react to something moving in front of you.
The good news is that low sun is manageable once you plan for it. A clean windscreen, the right kit within reach, a lower speed and a little extra patience turn a genuinely dangerous situation into a routine one. This guide walks through what to do when you are dazzled, and why looking out for other dazzled drivers matters just as much as protecting your own view.
Study time
37 min
Level
Advanced
Confidence
+10%
Practice
34 Qs
What you'll be able to do
- Understand why bad weather stretches your stopping distance so much — and the simple rule that keeps you safe in it.
- Understand which lights to use in rain, fog and gloom — and the one fog-light rule that catches people out.
- Understand how to handle the weather that isn't rain — gusts, dazzling sun, and water across the road.
The facts that matter
- Low sun is most common in the morning and evening, and it is worse in autumn and winter when the sun sits low in the sky for longer.
- Glare can hide pedestrians, cyclists, hazards and even the colour of traffic signals, so you may not see something until it is too late.
- Use your sun visor and keep a pair of sunglasses in the car so you can cut the glare quickly.
- A dirty or smeared windscreen scatters sunlight and makes glare far worse — keep both the inside and outside of the glass clean.
- When you are dazzled, slow down, and be prepared to stop if you genuinely cannot see the road ahead.
- Other drivers may be dazzled too and might not see you, your brake lights or a pedestrian, so take extra care at crossings and junctions.
Make it stick
Memory anchors
Visor, glasses, clean glass
Three quick defences, in order: flip the visor down, reach for your sunglasses, and make sure the screen is clean before you set off. Get these three habits fixed and most low-sun driving becomes comfortable rather than frightening.
They can't see you either
If the sun is dazzling you, it may be dazzling the driver coming the other way — or the one behind. They may not see your brake lights or a pedestrian on the crossing. Assume you are invisible and drive to compensate.
Stay sharp
The mistakes everyone makes
Cleaning the outside but not the inside
Drivers often wash the outside of the windscreen and forget the inside, where a thin greasy film builds up from dust and off-gassing plastics. That film is nearly invisible until the sun hits it, then it scatters light into a blinding haze. Clean both sides of the glass, and keep screen wash topped up so you can clear road film on the move.
Keeping your speed up to "get through it"
When glare hits, the instinct is often to push on and hope it passes. But if you cannot see clearly, you cannot safely judge distance, hazards or the road edge. Ease off the accelerator, increase your following distance, and be ready to stop. Arriving a few seconds later is a fair trade for actually being able to see.
Forgetting other road users are dazzled too
Many drivers protect their own view but forget the sun cuts both ways. A driver emerging from a side road facing the sun may not see you at all. Approach junctions and crossings expecting that others cannot see you, and hold back rather than assuming you have been noticed.
Out on the road
What this looks like in real life
The autumn commute heading east
You leave home at half past seven on a clear October morning and turn onto a straight road heading directly east. The sun is low and pointing right at you. You flip the visor down but it only covers part of the glare, so you slow to a comfortable speed and put on your sunglasses. As you approach a zebra crossing you cannot make out the far kerb clearly, so you cover the brake and are ready to stop. A pedestrian steps out just as the glare eases, and because you were already slow and prepared, you stop calmly with room to spare.
Dazzled at a junction turning right
You are waiting to turn right out of a side road on a bright winter afternoon, and the low sun is behind the traffic coming from your right, so oncoming cars are hard to pick out against the glare. Rather than trusting a quick glance, you wait, move your head to use the visor and pillar to block the sun, and look again for movement and shape rather than clear detail. Only when you are genuinely certain the road is clear do you pull out. Taking those extra seconds is far safer than edging out into a car you simply could not see.
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
What should I do if the sun is dazzling me while I drive?
Lower your sun visor, put on sunglasses and slow down. Increase your following distance and be prepared to stop if you genuinely cannot see the road ahead. Keep your windscreen clean, as smears make the glare far worse. Never push on at speed while blinded.
Why does a dirty windscreen make glare worse?
A film of dust, grease or smears on the glass scatters incoming sunlight in all directions instead of letting it pass straight through. That scattered light spreads into a bright haze across your whole field of view, washing out hazards. Clean glass lets you see through the light rather than into a wall of it.
Is low sun really that dangerous compared with rain or fog?
Yes. Low sun can completely hide pedestrians, cyclists, brake lights and traffic-signal colours in an instant, and it strikes at predictable but busy times like the morning and evening commute. It is a recognised factor in many collisions, especially in autumn and winter when the sun sits low for much of the day.
Can I just use my hand or the visor instead of sunglasses?
The sun visor is your first line of defence and you should always use it, moving your head to position it well. But a visor only blocks part of the sky, so a good pair of sunglasses that cuts glare without darkening the road too much is a worthwhile addition. Keep a pair in the car so you are never caught out.
Turn low sun and glare into marks
Reading builds understanding — practice makes it stick. Pick up where this guide leaves off, free.
Revision checklist
0/6Tick each point once you can explain it without looking.