The Most Dangerous Day To Drive!

There are only two times of the year when the Earth's axis is tilted neither toward nor away from the sun, resulting in a "nearly" equal amount of daylight and darkness at all latitudes.

These events are referred to as Equinoxes. The first occurred in March, the Vernal Equinox - the first day of Spring and will occur again today on September 22nd.

(Autumnal Equinox - the first day of fall).

On the equinox, the sun rises and sets precisely along an east-west axis and as such can leave motorists blinded.

Around the fall equinox, sunrise corresponds with the early morning peak traffic rush.

The most dangerous time is the first 10 to 15 minutes after sunrise when the sun is on the eastern horizon.

LOWER YOUR RISK

• Be aware that cars travelling toward the sun at sunrise or sunset may be virtually blinded.

• Clean your windshield thoroughly, including the inside, since dirt and haze on the glass increase glare and makes it especially hard to see.

• Increase your following distance beyond the recommended safe distances to allow three or more seconds between vehicles. If you get cut off, keep your cool and maintain a safe distance. What matters is safety.

• Wear sunglasses to help reduce glare.

• Be alert to changing cloud cover and changing traffic flow.