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Thread: Polarized lenses for night driving?

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    Master OptiBoarder DrNeyecare's Avatar
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    Polarized lenses for night driving?

    Just wondering, would you ever recommend a polarized lens for night time driving? ie, a yellow polarized lens (to increase light transmission yet reducing glare from headlights)

    I recently tried the Drivewear lens, via a voucher given to me from my rep. I actually like the lens. And don't attack me on this guys, but I love this lens for night time driving. I've been comparing it to the Teflon coated AR clear lens I usually drive with. The Drivewear lens (in its yellowish tint stage) shows much significant glare reduction compared to Teflon coated lens during night driving. Plus, the yellowish tint does not cause noticable reduction of light that can cause a hazard.

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    OptiBoard Professional OptiBoard Corporate Sponsor
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    Doctor, while I am very pleased that you like the Drivewear Lens, please understand that it is not recommended for night driving. It may seem that the yellow-green color does not cut down on the amount of light, but, at 37% Transmission, it unfortunately does. At night, the driver absolutely needs as much light as possible in order to drive safely, and I believe that tints here are not benefical, even very light yellow tints. AR Coatings may be helpful, but certainly either polarized lenses or tints are strickly for daytime use, in my experience.

    Once again, I am very glad you like Drivewear, but please limit it's use to daytime use, since it is a sunlens.

    Dave Rips - President & CEO Younger Optics (maker of Drivewear)

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    For dusk and dawn ie: low light conditions, yes. For true night driving, no. Perhaps you could get away with it in the city where artificial lighting is present but out on the country roads you need all the light you can get.

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    Optimentor Diane's Avatar
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    Thanks

    Quote Originally Posted by CEO View Post
    Doctor, while I am very pleased that you like the Drivewear Lens, please understand that it is not recommended for night driving. It may seem that the yellow-green color does not cut down on the amount of light, but, at 37% Transmission, it unfortunately does. At night, the driver absolutely needs as much light as possible in order to drive safely, and I believe that tints here are not benefical, even very light yellow tints. AR Coatings may be helpful, but certainly either polarized lenses or tints are strickly for daytime use, in my experience.

    Once again, I am very glad you like Drivewear, but please limit it's use to daytime use, since it is a sunlens.

    Dave Rips - President & CEO Younger Optics (maker of Drivewear)
    Dave,

    Thanks for coming forward early on and setting this subject on the right path. Great lens, but like anything else, it needs to be used for the correct visual tasks.:D

    Diane
    Anything worth doing is worth doing well.

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    Ophthalmic Optician
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    Quote Originally Posted by DrNeyecare View Post
    Just wondering, would you ever recommend a polarized lens for night time driving? ie, a yellow polarized lens (to increase light transmission yet reducing glare from headlights)
    Yellow tinted lenses transmit more light only when compared to other tints. Any time you put a tint in front of the eye, you are decreasing the amount of light the eye is getting.

    Since vision is based on the amount of light entering the eye, we suggest an AR coating when glasses must be worn.

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    OptiBoard Professional bren_03825's Avatar
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    Stick out tongue

    Quote Originally Posted by DrNeyecare View Post
    Just wondering, would you ever recommend a polarized lens for night time driving? ie, a yellow polarized lens (to increase light transmission yet reducing glare from headlights)

    I recently tried the Drivewear lens, via a voucher given to me from my rep. I actually like the lens. And don't attack me on this guys, but I love this lens for night time driving. I've been comparing it to the Teflon coated AR clear lens I usually drive with. The Drivewear lens (in its yellowish tint stage) shows much significant glare reduction compared to Teflon coated lens during night driving. Plus, the yellowish tint does not cause noticable reduction of light that can cause a hazard.

    Having worn the drivewear lens once myself as it changed from dusk to night, it seemed like I could see almost just as well, and it was very comfortable, but yes it did cut down on the ability to "quickly notice" anything, especially off the sides of the road. Living in rural Michigan, that can truly dangerous, with deer and bear. I've recmmended to all my patients who wear tinted lenses all the time, to have a clear pair of at least dvo glasses for night driving, with AR of course.
    :cheers:

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    Master OptiBoarder DrNeyecare's Avatar
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    Thanks guys! i appreciate the clarification. What you all said made total sense.

    Dave (CEO), yes, the Drivewear lens is a good lens. I would say that for daytime driving conditions, I much prefer your Nupolar Grey Polarized lens.
    The Drivewear lens doesn't darken enough for me. Just my opinion.

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    OptiBoard Professional bren_03825's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by DrNeyecare View Post
    Dave (CEO), yes, the Drivewear lens is a good lens. I would say that for daytime driving conditions, I much prefer your Nupolar Grey Polarized lens.
    The Drivewear lens doesn't darken enough for me. Just my opinion.
    :idea:

    I agree with that, doc. I wear the drivewear lenses mainly at dawn and dusk, and overcast days, and gray polarized shades for sunny days. If the drivewear lens could get about 25-35% darker, I would wear it full time.
    :cheers:
    Last edited by bren_03825; 07-07-2007 at 08:52 AM. Reason: hard time typing today

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    OptiWizard BMH's Avatar
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    Yellow at night will play with your color perception. Something or someONE on the side of the road in dark clothing at night would be very hard to see. There is a good article on LaramyK's website about the same subject. Give it a read.

    my 2 cents

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    polarized at night

    Im not as lens savvy as some of these guys but here goes,

    Polarized lens film for reducing light transmission has to be dark to get a true polar, a 10% tint on a polar will not provide enough polarization to even consider it worthwhile.

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    Optician Extraordinaire
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    I like my Drivewear lenses a lot. They are very nice for overcast, rainy weather, too.

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    Rising Star ShuString's Avatar
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    polarized at night

    Not a great idea, Stick to the AR coating. No color tint is ok for driving at night.

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    Probably get best results for night driving by just cleaning your glasses and cleaning all your cabin windows inside and out.

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    OptiBoard Professional bren_03825's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by chip anderson View Post
    cleaning all your cabin windows inside and out.
    Actually the best advice, clean the windows........hmmmmm, I need to do that.
    :hammer:
    :cheers:

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    CEO, when is poly coming? I'm waiting to fill my voucher :-(
    I'm so glad you mentioned the night driving thing at the Transitions sponsored event a couple months ago in Raleigh, Hurricanes Game. It's logical enough to think it helps, but as a dispenser, I'm glad to know that it's my duty to warn possible consequences!

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    A small thing I don't remember well. Many years ago, I had a patient bring in a pair of glasses for adjustment. His optometrist (who seemed to know what he was doing as I did not) had selectively mirrored his "driving glasses. As I vaguely recall he had more mirror on the drivers side to reflect glare, no mirror in the exact center (maybe in a cross) and little mirror on the passenger side.
    I have never seen this done before or since.

    Chip

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    Actually one night I realized that I had forgotten my regular clear glasses and the only thing I had in my car were the drivewear pair. Not just that but I happened to be going to a wedding at the time. I was forced to wear the drivewear glasses all night long and was astonished at how well I saw even though I was wearing fairly dark glasses at night. There's no question that the vision was NOT optimal but it was surprisingly good.

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    Quote Originally Posted by bren_03825 View Post
    :idea:

    I agree with that, doc. I wear the drivewear lenses mainly at dawn and dusk, and overcast days, and gray polarized shades for sunny days. If the drivewear lens could get about 25-35% darker, I would wear it full time.
    :cheers:
    CEO, why can't you make your Drivewear darker when fully activated? Somewhere in the literature says that it can be very dark(can't remember the transmission) but in real situation, it was never dark enough. I was in Sydney last week and it was very bright but I think the lens only gets to about 30-25% max. Otherwise, it's a great lens.

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    I was checking out the drivewear earlier this year and did notice that in its darkest state the transmission must have been around 12-14%. I did not read the transmission but did compare them to a pair of brown C polars and the drivewear was darker with an excellent contrast. I will remark that I have not tested them in the heat but if they are like the typical photochromic they may not get as dark now as they did in the winter.

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    Thumbs up

    I have been wearing my Drivewear lenses for several months. I must admit that while out on the motorcycle i've forgot to take them off as it was getting dark. My vision was just so comfortable in them that I forgot to take them off! When i sell the lenses i warn the patient to NOT drive at night with them even if they feel they can see wearing them. I'm anxiously waiting for a lined bifocal to become available with the technology. Mr. Ceo, any input from you as to when they may be available? I live in Florida and have a heavy elderly population to deal with and many of them just won't make the jump to PAL's. Thanks for your input. :D

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    OptiBoard Professional bren_03825's Avatar
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    To CEO

    Dave, could you PM me or send me a mail, I have a question for you, or one of your Reps in the Area?:)

  22. #22
    Something Wicked This WayComes AngryFish's Avatar
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    10% Polarized

    RustyS, here is something to fry your brain…A polarized lens is gray because it is polarized not because it is tinted.

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    Allen Weatherby
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    Polarized lenses

    Quote Originally Posted by AngryFish View Post
    RustyS, here is something to fry your brain…A polarized lens is gray because it is polarized not because it is tinted.
    For clairification:
    Actually the polarized film is tinted in most polarized lenses. We produce a true blue polarized lens and true yellow (no gray tone at all).

    We also produce a gray and a brown polarized using the same base polarized film. The lens material is actually clear.

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    angryfish

    Ok Im all ears. I have a question though.I read one of your previous posts regarding polarization and your idea for a polarized. I might get slapped down quick or i might get some good info. First off I know there are hardcore optical posters here so pardon my ham-fisted description to follow.

    I'm assuming "Drivewear" is not polar and I have not seen the lens so Im not trying to dis anything here.


    If i offset two polarized lenes i wanna see black and that is based on "mechanics" as opposed to tinting process so that means all polars would no matter base color are always visually appears as grey based purely on light transmission right?. I wanna have to slightly offset them to see a solar eclipse. To me that is "true polarization" I have yet to see the lighter lenses be able to even come close. I admit i have spent a few years out of the lab. So most anything lighter than 25% would mostly dismiss as "polarizish" and a lot of these applications would be better met by a gradient (with rare exceptions)


    As to not stray too far from original topic I was thinking about the PLS 530 or 540 for night driving. In flat light conditions they are fantastic. Are they still being made? I have not dispensed one in like 10+ years.

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    Something Wicked This WayComes AngryFish's Avatar
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    Unadulterated reference

    Understood that most manufacturers of polarized lenses alter the color of the filter or of the lens material; this accounts for the unnatural results of yellow, brown and various other colors and shades. My reference was to an unadulterated, polarized lens. I reference the research done by Edwin Land on color constancy that demonstrates that white light (temperature unimportant) reduced by one half nets grey light.

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