Knox County Pedestrian Fatality - Safety Lessons?

The Knoxville News Sentinel reports that a pedestrian was struck and killed while on a walk in her neighborhood on January 4. Time of the crash was sometime after 5:00 PM. The driver claimed that the sun got into his eyes, causing him to not see the couple in the street. This particular tragedy raises questions of staying safe around sunrise and sunset. Some people have argued that it's best for cyclists and pedestrians to avoid being in the street around these times, due to the blinding effect of the sun on drivers, especially on east/west routes. Avoiding these times may not be too difficult with slight tweaks in one's schedule being sufficient. On the other hand, how much added danger is there in reality from the sun during these times?