It's the season of squinting: Sun glare makes morning commute in Des Moines more difficult

Linh Ta
The Des Moines Register
Sun glare can cause danger for drivers' morning commutes.

If you're commuting from the west basically any morning, you've probably noticed something irritating your eyes these last few weeks.

And when I say irritating, I mean glaring, blinding and even potentially dangerous.

It's officially fall and the sun is lower in the sky, creating a glare that makes it difficult for motorists to properly see when it hits their windshields just right. 

So what you're thinking is — duh. 

But visors and even sunglasses aren't always sufficient enough to keep the light out  during fall equinox time.

National Weather Service meteorologist Allan Curtis said that polarized sunglasses didn't keep out the bright sunlight for one of his colleagues.

"If you have a straight east-oriented road, the sun is going to be smack dab in your face," Curtis said.

In Des Moines on Sunday, a driver turned left in front of a teen on his new moped at Urbandale Avenue and Westover Boulevard, resulting in an accident, said Sgt. Paul Parizek, spokesman with Des Moines police. 

The driver said the accident occurred because of lack of visibility from the sun. The teen sustained a broken femur.

"It's another act of mother nature and we have to act accordingly," Parizek said.

Drivers will see the worst impact on their visibility when the sun is rising between 6 to 9 a.m. People in the west will see more severity, Curtis said. The extreme sun glare is expected to last for the next couple weeks.

Even if the sun is impacting your visibility, it doesn't influence whether or not you'll receive a citation for driving erratically or causing an accident, said West Des Moines police Sgt. Dan Wade.

Just like if ice or snow contribute to an accident, the driver is still the one held responsible.

"The person driving the car is still responsible for driving it safely," Wade said.

Tips for driving in sun glare conditions from the American Automobile Association:

  • Keep your windshield clean.
  • Avoid storing papers or other items on the dashboard.
  • If you have difficulty seeing the road, use lane markings as a guide.