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Q: windscreen glare problem
Over the holiday, my wife got into a serious scrape with one of those farmer's tricycles. It knocked the rear-view mirror clean off, and lots of denting. Fortunately our secondhand QQ will be affordable to repair.
I was sitting in the back seat, and saw the whole thing happen. My wife is an inexperienced driver, but I have to say that she is not entirely to blame, nor was the farmer. Naturally the tricycle had next to no damage; iron box vs. aluminium sheet.
It was dark on the narrow countryside road, and I already commented to my wife that I couldn't see a thing when opposing vehicles had their headlights on. She concurred, and said she was driving extra slow to compensate. We both wear glasses, though I don't think it's relevant. I believe that the windshield, the front window, causes this blinding effect. Every little scratch and imperfection of the surface gets lighted up like a christmas tree.
My wife saw one headlight, and we both assumed it was a motorcycle. Then a wide vehicle comes into view just meters before us, and we couldn't swerve fast enough for the tricycle, which wasn't slowing down at all.
My Question: Is there some kind of wax or other treatment we can apply to the window to get rid of this glare effect? This is a road safety risk we really should remedy, because i have plenty of in-law relatives living in the countryside. So, we'll be using such narrow country roads often. And the darkness of winter is coming...
9 years 28 weeks ago in Transport & Travel - China
Before you do anything else, give the windshield a good wash. Not just a car wash, but a good scrubbing, this includes the wipers too. Clean them well.
The oil can build up and smear along your screen then a light rain comes along and if you mix that with the highbeems then your not seeing nothing.
They do have like water proofing sprays and stuff but its really open to interpretation as to if they do anything or not.
If you notice a difference after a wash, then next step is to make sure your wipers are new and working well. Pretty much everyone is going to freak out in that situation, its unnerving for sure. Just make her pull over and let the asshole with the highbeems pass.
icnif77:
I usually click/turn on on my high beams, when somebody is approaching me with blinding lights.
Windshield should be washed with water and some 70% alcohol mixed in it, after you scrubbed it with the soap and water.
I usually use ordinary soap for dishes, before alcohol mix wash. That will take glare off the windshield.
If glare is still on, just apply 70% alcohol on cloth, and scrub outside of the windshield.
I read online you should wash it with white vinegar.
Honestly I don't see how it would help but you can give it a try, the worst that can happen is all your car smelling like a salad.
As others. Keep the windows clean, and slow down if you get blinded (which happens all the time)
I generally drive pretty slow at night, there are lots of dark trafficants, e.g. people walking on the road. I would hate to kill a farmer, especially at night.
My wife's a new driver and has been trying to increase her skills every day for a fortnight now. Yesterday she lost control while turning a corner and mounted the curb and took out a railing and head on-ed a tree. Five of us in the car and we all wore our seatbelts. No injuries. But the car is smashed right up. Lots of Chinese people who have no lives at all gathered around to ogle and take pictures and I yelled at them to fuk off and my wife cried.
All's well today.
She's has a drivers license for several years but had never driven a car until we bought one about 3 weeks ago. Hope her confidence isn't shot to bits now.
Oh yeah....Coin. They drive with their lights on where you live?
Glad you're both safe.
coineineagh:
yeah we're fine. it was just a big scrape, a fright, some arguing and the aftermath bill. your encounter sounds a lot more serious, with more damage, and a point-stare-&-laugh crowd bringing rubbing salt for your wounds. both our wives needmore practice, i guess. take care out there.
royceH:
The first policeman on the scene was so taken with my encouragement to the crowd to fuk off he called in reinforcements....half a dozen coppers wearing full riot gear promptly turned up. HAR!
there is a product called rain x that works with rain or snow to the point that you dont need the wipers, but i fear the product would be a cheap imitation here, when the windshield is clean the rain beads up like wax and rolls off the windshield.
i seriously doubt you could find it here, but they use for pilots and airplane windshields as an extra safety precaution.
its quite expensive and you you need to reapply every 2 weeks, i used the product on the ice roads in alaska and canada 15 years ago, maybe someone can send you a care package.
they make a resin thats clear for glass repair, comes in a tube like toothpaste and you can fill in hairline cracks to get rid of the glare from fractured light beams coming through, but the tubes of resin were also about 20 dollars over a decade ago. labor is so cheap here though they probably dont repair, just replace the whole windshield, its also very popular in alaska with spike snow tires and gravel, you usually go through 2 windshields every winter in your car, more glass replacement shops in alaske than liquor stores and churches, quite a surprise when i lived there.
