CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) – With the exception of some morning fog, we’ve had some pretty bright weather this week.

If you’ve had to drive around sunrise or sunset lately chances are you’ve had the sun directly in your eyes. This time of the year, the sun is lower in the sky and sunrise and sunset are typically around the time many of us are commuting to or from work.

On a sunny day, drivers can become virtually blinded by the sun and that can lead to accidents. There are some important things you can do to help lower your risk of being blinded by the sun.

• Clean your windshield thoroughly inside and out. Dirt and haze on the glass can increase glare making it very hard to see.
• Increase the distance between you and the car in front of you.
• Wear polarized sunglasses to help reduce glare.
• Use your car’s sun visor
• Stay alert to changing cloud cover and the traffic flow.
• Avoid storing papers and other items on your dashboard as well.

On Wednesday, the sunset is at 5:54 p.m. Thursday morning’s sunrise is at 7:16 a.m. The clocks roll back an hour on November 5th.