What Affects Driving Visibility and How To Improve It

When did you last check your headlights and brake lights? Has it been weeks since you replenished your windshield washer fluid? Has that chip in your windshield been there for several months?

These may seem like minor and less-than-worrisome issues, but long-term neglect can cause significant problems or deadly accidents in the future.

Improve your driving visibility, ensure safe driving practices, avoid expensive tickets, and prevent costly rear-end collisions with proper vehicle care with these tips below.

3 Things That Affect Driving Visibility

Multiple factors can affect driving visibility, but all are easily manageable and preventable.

1. Weather Conditions

Whether night or day, weather conditions are regular culprits for poor visibility. Some common offenders of impaired driving visibility include:

• Dense Fog
• Heavy Rain
• Snowy Conditions
• Hail
• Bright Sun
• Dust

If you’re experiencing weather conditions that impede your driving visibility, it’s essential to be vigilant and proactive with auto care. Driving in heavy weather conditions with poor headlights or windshields is a terrible scenario for accidents.

2. Poor Windshield Visibility

Poor windshield visibility happens for two main reasons: broken windshields and old wipers blades.

Chips, cracks, and breaks in your windshield can happen without warning. Depending on the size of the chip or damage, you may be able to repair it yourself. However, significant breaks in your windshield will require a replacement.

Additionally, poor windshield wipers that leave smears can also be the cause of poor visibility. They can cause horrible glares under sunny conditions and impede the line of sight when driving.

Neglecting a broken windshield or old wiper blades could lead to accidents, which yields higher costs in car repairs than a simple replacement.

3. Worn Headlights and Brake Lights

Headlight lenses consist of polycarbonate material that sand and rocks from the road can easily scratch. Over time, headlights can also become dull and cloudy from our harsh sunlight. 

The good news? Cloudy lenses can be buffed back to normal with the proper tools.

Without proper care, headlight replacement can cost $400 and up! However, the headlight polishing service is an inexpensive alternative that you should consider.

How To Improve Your Headlights and Brake Lights

It’s good practice to regularly check turn signals, headlights, brake lights, fog lights, high beam headlights, and don’t forget that third brake light. 

Before getting in the car at night, turn headlights and beam headlights on and off to ensure they are working correctly. If they aren’t, check the fuses. If where you’re going isn’t urgent, wait until morning before driving again.

If you need help checking your brake lights, here are some methods we suggest:

• Use a broom handle to depress the brake pedal. 
• Find a glass storefront to reflect off of. 
• Ask a friend to help you out.
• Stop by your favorite Honest Accurate Auto for a complimentary check.

If your lights are working well but appear cloudy or scratched, Honest Accurate Auto can use a five-step polishing process to restore your lens surfaces to their former luster.

This one-hour process includes:

1. Lens cleaning
2. Polishing compounds
3. Utilizing our orbital buffer
4. Applying a protective wax coating

How To Improve Windshield Driving Visibility

If your windshield is pitted and/or cracked, summer sunshine can be blinding, and winter can worsen the cracks and chips, not to mention the abhorrent “streaky” windshield.

Here are some things to remember when caring for your windshield:

• Change wiper blades with each oil change.
• Replenish windshield washer fluid often.
• Avoid driving behind big trucks.
• Fix chips, cracks, or breaks as quickly as possible.

Choose Honest Accurate Auto Care 

We strive to create a simple auto maintenance experience for our customers. We believe in preventative car care and know it can save lives.

For affordable windshield replacement, wiper blade replacement, and headlight restoration service, contact Honest Accurate Auto Care in Colorado Springs!