ONE OF THE MOST OVERLOOKED HAZARDS DURING WINTER - THE SUN

The winter period can make driving a nightmare, the snow and ice that we have had towards the beginning of this year has proven how the weather can affect our driving, and more importantly our driving times. Many people have found out the hard way that, the snow and ice on the roads can slow us down as traffic and queues become common and accidents cause more congestion on the roads too.

One of the key things we get told is to clear our windows of ice build up, as ice can obscure our vision, not only through the windscreen, but also through side windows and wing mirrors as well. Something that is not so well known though is the effect that the sun can have on our driving around this time of year. It seems strange that the exact opposite of the typical winter weather can be equally as problematic.

The reason for this is the sun is very low in the sky during this period of the year, both in the morning as well as in the early evening. The colder weather can often leave little cloud cover at times, so we can be exposed to the sun more than usual, Galsgow Climate but annoyingly the extra sun doesn't often mean a rise in temperatures.

The sun being low in the sky is obviously going to cause a lot of dazzling when driving into or away from the sun (reflections of the sun in your rear view mirror). When driving in these conditions it is wise to use your sun visors or have a pair of sunglasses to hand. It is also important that your windshield is kept clear of dirt, ice and any other marks, as the sun exposes these and makes them appear much worse.

The dirt can usually be cleaned away with your washer jets, so make sure your washer fluid level is topped up, and has suitable levels of anti freeze solution mixed in, especially during the winter months. Over time, windshields can develop little scratches which show up in harsh sunlight, this may happen a lot on older cars. Sadly this may mean you might need a replacement windshield or specialist treatment to make your windows clearer.

So as the winter months begins to leave us make sure you're aware of the sun and its position in the sky, If possible try and avoid driving at sunrise and sunset as these are the times of day that are going to cause problems.