The Safety Tip Adviser: Beware the Almighty Sun
|
|
Posted On :
May-11-2011
| seen (489) times |
Article Word Count :
478
|
|
Taking safety precautions while driving in the sun will not only help us to avoid unwanted accidents, they will also help us to protect one of our most valuable assets, our eyes.
|
|
As we head into the summer, I think it’s a good time to remind ourselves that beyond having to prepare against other distractions on the road, drivers must also be aware of natural distractions such as the sun. Driving in the sun can obstruct your vision and cause limited sight. Without adequate protection, the sun not only endangers a driver’s safety, it also creates a vision-health hazard that we need to be aware of.
The suspected cause of many motor vehicle accidents is poor visibility due to sun glare. Necessary precautions should be taken by drivers to ensure their safety and the safety of others on the road. The following tips will help reduce the dangers of driving on bright sunny days.
Drive cautiously. Leave a proper distance to ensure ample reaction time.
Make it a habit to lower your sun visors.
Make sure all the windows are clean. Clean windows will help cut down on the suns glare.
On bright sunny days, take an alternate route when possible, lined with trees or tall buildings instead of a route with extreme glare.
Do not look directly at the sun. Direct eye contact with the sun can bleach the eye’s retina and affect vision from five seconds to as long as thirty seconds.
Most importantly, wear sunglasses at all times. If you wear prescription eye glasses, have a set of prescription sun glasses made for you.
Not only is it important to wear sunglasses at all times, it is even more important to wear a good pair of sun glasses. A good pair of sun glasses will have lenses that are polarized to reduce the suns glare. Polarized lenses utilize polarized filtering technology to diffuse and deflect concentrated light waves. Polarized lenses also provide excellent protection by blocking the glare that can cause eyestrain and fatigue.
A good pair of sun glasses will also have lenses with UV protection to shield the eyes from damage. Reflected UV rays are believed to contribute to various eye diseases such as cataracts, macular degeneration and photokeratitis (sunburn of the eyes). A driver may also experience blurred vision, change in colour vision or difficulty seeing at night. Proper sun glasses are especially critical now as scientists point out the rapid deterioration of the Earth’s ozone layer and subsequent increased amount of harmful UV rays.
As you can see, taking safety precautions while driving in the sun will not only help us to avoid unwanted accidents, they will also help us to protect one of our most valuable assets, our eyes. I don’t know about you, but the first thing I am going to do next week is to run out and buy myself a good (and cool) pair of sun glasses.
Drive safe, think positive and be prosperous.
|
|
|
|
Article Source :
http://www.articleseen.com/Article_The Safety Tip Adviser: Beware the Almighty Sun_61830.aspx
|
|
Author Resource :
Alvis Violo is the C.E.O. of Emergency Road Services Corporation, a coast to coast national roadside assistance company dedicated to the trucking industry in Canada and the United States of America. For more information visit www.emergencyroadservices.com or call 1-877-377-2262. Please send your questions, feedback or comments about this column to alvis@emergencyroadservices.com
|
|
Keywords :
driving, sun, driver, vision, sun glasses, canada, usa, alvis violo, emergency road services,
Category :
Travel and Leisure
:
Travel Tips
|
|
|
|
