Senior Sergeant Anthony Bond, of Dunedin, said officers were called to State Highway 1 between Fairfield and Saddle Hill about 5.35pm yesterday.
An 85-year-old driver had been travelling along and veered from the left-hand-lane into the right-hand-lane because traffic in front of him had slowed quickly due to sunstrike.
The 85-year-old was also affected by sunstrike and overshot the lane, hitting the centre barrier.
As a result of the crash, traffic was down a lane which caused severe congestion while firefighters and tow truck operators worked to untangle the vehicle from the wire barrier.
No injuries were reported as a result of the crash, the spokesman said.
The incident served as a timely reminder of the dangers of sunstrike as Dunedin came into winter, Snr Sgt Bond said.
Sunstrike would likely affect the city’s roads for the next couple of months, as it did every year.
Drivers should draw on local knowledge and drive to the conditions.
They could use a variety of methods — including sunglasses and sun visors — to mitigate the risk, Snr Sgt Bond.
