With Daylight Savings Time starting on Sunday, March 10, most Americans will “spring forward” and change their clocks to one hour later. While it’s easy to see the benefits to longer days and more time in the daylight, few drivers stop to ponder the added dangers.

The short-term dangers in the first few days after the time change involve an increase in drowsy driving caused by a reduction in sleep. The long-term dangers involve the sun shining directly into drivers’ eyes, leaving many motorists driving with a glare caused by the sun. Driving into the sun just after sunrise and just before sunset can make it much harder to see ahead.

So how can your fleet drivers protect themselves? AAA offers these tips for motorists who find themselves driving into the sun’s glare:

• Invest in polarized sunglasses. They can help reduce glare.

• Utilize your sun visor. It can help to block out the sun.

• Leave more following room. When the sun is in your eyes, you can struggle to see what the car ahead is doing. This is one more time when it pays to leave more room between you and the next vehicle.

• Drive with your headlights on to increase your visibility to other drivers.

Additional tips: 

• Keep your windshield clean, inside and out.

• Check your windshield for pitting and cracks.

• Avoid storing papers or other items on the dashboard.

• If you are having a difficult time seeing the road, use lane markings to help guide you. 

Rarely will visibility be absolutely perfect while driving. But awareness of potential problems can help your drivers make the proper adjustments to minimize risks.