GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Police are saying the sun played a factor in several recent, fatal crashes.
An SUV driver turned into a dump truck and was killed last week in Harrison. The SUV driver likely had limited visibility due to the sunlight.
“It’s just situation awareness,” said Gary Syftestad, a former driving instructor. “This time of the year — hopefully, everyone knows that the sun is going to be that much more pronounced, especially at sun-up and sundown.”
Syftestad said it’s dangerous to drive unprepared in bright conditions, especially during this time of year. He said there are ways drivers can account for the glare.
“Sunglasses, putting the visor down, looking at the white line on the right. And then, especially if you’re pulling out, going left or right with the sun coming at you, maybe having to put your hand up.”
A second incident occurred in Harrison, in which a 60-year-old Menasha resident was killed. And a 48-year-old SUV driver was killed in Manitowoc county in another crash caused by the sun.
Manitowoc Sheriff Department Lieutenant Marcus Anderson said drivers should be aware of the weather and use what’s at their disposal. But he wants people to remember that it’s ok to take a break from driving if the sun is too much.
“If you’re ever truly that uncomfortable on whatever roadway you might be traveling, it’s causing you that much visibility issues, just pull over and wait a few minutes. Give the sun the chance to change that angle. It’s better to be safe than sorry.”
Anderson said all crashes are reviewed individually. This means law enforcement will consider sun glare, but it doesn’t necessarily result in criminal charges.
“There’s a lot of factors. It gets listed on the crash report form that the sun was a factor, speed was a factor, those sorts of things, so every situation would be uniquely different. You can’t say someone would be more or less at fault because of the sun.”
Anderson says the advice is straightforward and mostly comes down to remembering what time of year the sun will shine the brightest.
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