In Colorado, car accidents often happen even when the weather seems fine. There is no storm, lightning, or any other weather hazard that could be considered the cause of the accident. In most cases, we forget that sun glare can be the root cause behind such crashes. While taking a turn or overtaking a car onto the I-70 heading east toward Denver, the sun glare hits hard.
For a few seconds, drivers genuinely cannot see the road ahead. The cars in front of them disappear for a few seconds, literally! On a busy highway, cars cruising at an average speed of 65 miles per hour can lead to a severe collision.
Why are such events underreported?
One common outcome of such a car accident is that the incident is never properly reported. Local news outlets and police reports often cite speeding or loss of control of a vehicle as the root causes. Sun glare is rarely mentioned as a major factor. Sometimes drivers don't admit it, and investigating officers don't always have the tools to verify it. Hence, when you search online for reasons behind "car accident Colorado today," sun glare is hardly mentioned anywhere.
The risks involved
Every state deals with sun glare, but Colorado has a specific combination of factors that makes it worse.
A majority of Colorado's highways are at a very high altitude. This leads to less natural filtering of sunlight. Colorado's most-traveled corridors — I-70, US-36, US-50, and US-40 run mostly from east to west. It means that during sunrise and sunset, millions of Colorado drivers face the sunlight directly.
The time to avoid driving
Sun glare isn't a random problem. It hits hard at two times of day.
- Eastbound drivers on I-70, I-76, and US-36 heading into Denver and the Front Range face the risk. This time overlaps exactly with peak commute hours.
- Similarly, westbound drivers heading home toward the mountains face the same issue. The sun sits directly in the driver's eyeline for a sustained stretch.
What happens in a sun-glare crash?
The risk in a sun glare crash isn't just reduced visibility. The risk lies in the suddenness. The sun hits your eyes directly with full intensity, all of a sudden. In that moment, visibility drops almost to zero; you can't see what is ahead. It can be an SUV, a pedestrian, or even an electric bike ahead.
Reaction time at highway speeds is already measured in seconds. A driver losing visibility, even for a few seconds, can lead to disasters. By the time the glare clears and vision returns, the damage is done. This is why sun-glare accidents tend to result in rear-end crashes, and the outcomes are often severe. Check out sites like localaccidentreports.com to learn more about this. Here you will find detailed reports on all accidents that occurred over the last week. The information shared is from verified sources to ensure that accuracy and reliability are not compromised.
What can you do to stay safe?
You can't change the sun or its functioning! But you can certainly adopt some measures to stay safe while driving during the day in Colorado. You can keep your car windshield dust-free and scratch-free.
When glare is strong, reduce speed. You can also invest in quality Polarized lenses that help cut through horizontal glare. Unless it's necessary, avoid driving during hours when the sunlight is harsh.
