Wear polarized sunglasses at rainy night to reduce blinding headlight glare !?

[a1vo]

Recently I was told by a non-ECP friend that "wearing sunglasses at rainy night can help you see better"

I tried it with my "brown C polarized Rx sunglasses "on a city street with good street lighting and semi-heavy rain (with light traffic) one night. Amazingly, the white/yellow lane dividers are much easier to spot and the blinding headlight glares have much less affect on my vision.

With my ECP knowledge, I think it make sense that polarized lenses will reduce the blinding incoming car headlight glare, reflection glare from the wet street surface & help to see through the fogging build-up inside the car window. And with proper street lighting, you still have enough light to see around. The overall advantages are much more than the disadvantages (i.e., reduced light condition to see).

I think I will exercise this idea myself with caution.

But should we educate our patients this idea too (with caution, of course)? Will tinted lenses somewhat help too?

All comments are welcome.

[Robert_S]

You definitely shouldn't wear sunglasses to drive at night, in any weather. Drivewear on the other hand... maybe. I wouldn't recommend it, but I find it helps a lot, so long as there is good street lighting. Tinted lenses absolutely not. No point in a tinted lens except for very strong light or speciality uses.

[mdeimler]

My Drivewear work great when it's raining...during the day. Never at night, though. The cut glare nicely, but they also cut down on the light that enters the eye.

[Robert_S]

My Drivewear work great when it's raining...during the day. Never at night, though. The cut glare nicely, but they also cut down on the light that enters the eye.

I'm just saying, that they do help me personally... but then the Zeiss iProfiler did say that my corneal aberrations make night driving more difficult for me than most.

I wouldn't recommend them to a patient for night driving. I may recommend iScription, depending on how impressed I am when my lenses arrive.

[optilady1]

It's funny you post this, because I had a patient yesterday, very elderly, tell me that the only time he wears his fit over sunglasses (from cataract surg no less, so NOT polarized) was for night time driving. Thankfully he doesn't drive anymore, so it's a mute point, but my goodness, how dangerous!

[CCGREEN]

OK people throwing this out there. Think it through and recall what you would recommend a yellow lens for, a brown lens for, and a gray lens for.
Now if you get the lightest color of yellow or brown available and have it polarized and put AR coating on it. Whats wrong with using that for headlight/street light glare? Those two colors are going to filter the blue light for you, gray is the least desirable color because it has blue in it thus enhancing the blue light waves which creates blurriness.

[jediron1]

OK people throwing this out there. Think it through and recall what you would recommend a yellow lens for, a brown lens for, and a gray lens for.
Now if you get the lightest color of yellow or brown available and have it polarized and put AR coating on it. Whats wrong with using that for headlight/street light glare? Those two colors are going to filter the blue light for you, gray is the least desirable color because it has blue in it thus enhancing the blue light waves which creates blurriness.

When B&L was still making sunglasses they would put a disclaimer on there kalichrome lenses that they should be worn only on low light days or at dusk or early morning not during bright sunny days or at night. Now for light brown if it's 10% your still cutting down 10% of the light and at night time you want as much light coming into the eye not decreasing it. If you notice when you go out at night your pupil dilates to let more light in so why would you use any color because no matter the color it will reduce perception a little to a lot and as people get older reflexes are slowed so you can't react the same as you did when you were younger!

[GokhanSF]

If someone crashed into me at night with their sunglasses on I will beat the **** out of that person. Just saying.

[Fezz]

If someone crashed into me at night with their sunglasses on I will beat the **** out of that person. Just saying.

I would turn the lawyers on them! Let them beat the **** outta them!

[GokhanSF]

I would turn the lawyers on them! Let them beat the **** outta them!

Well it depends on who is in the car with me... If I have my pregnant wife or kids in the car I am beating the **** outta that person... I will stick that sunglasses to that drivers behind...

I don't care how comfortable someone feels, they need to consider public safety while they are driving.

[Uncle Fester]

Well it depends on who is in the car with me... If I have my pregnant wife or kids in the car I am beating the **** outta that person... I will stick that sunglasses to that drivers behind...

I don't care how comfortable someone feels, they need to consider public safety while they are driving.

Unless he looks like this!!!

[jediron1]

I would turn the lawyers on them! Let them beat the **** outta them!

I agree! You can't go around acting like Rambo trying to kick someones butt. You never know you might get your butt kicked.

[a1vo]

OK, don't recommended this to your customers. There are liability issues.


My next question is: As an ECP are you attempted to try it (at least once)? [just don't beat me up or send ur lawyer to me]

[finefocus]

No, I just close my eyes; cuts the glare really well.

[GokhanSF]

I agree with finefocus... I just closed my eyes right now and all the glare is gone. It is magical. They should teach this method at the schools.

[CCGREEN]

OK we have heard a lot of snide smart remarks from people about "sunglasses" I don't recall this thread being about "sunglasses" those are used during the daytime with the sun shining in your face.

Now lets hear what you would do for those that have a medical condition of the eye that impedes their night driving but not enough for them to stay off the road. What would you do to make them more comfortable driving at night? What would you do for the truck driver who is over the road at night time?

And those strong comments of using sunglasses at night time is just how I feel also except I would add one more item to the list. CELL PHONES! Run into me while I'm on my motorcycle or in my truck or any loved one of mine first thing I'm looking for, did you have your phone with you and using it at the time? Next I want to know what kind of restrictions are on your license. Oh my! Look your supposed to have "corrective lenses" Where and what are they and I hope you were using them. And also when was your last eye exam.

[GokhanSF]

CCGREEN, if you want to wear a Polarized sunglasses at night wear a Brown A not a C for gods sake. Or you can get a yellow Polarized lens.

[CCGREEN]

Gezzz......."for gods sake" its tough to get any intelligent input on this subject today.

[n711]

OK we have heard a lot of snide smart remarks from people about "sunglasses" I don't recall this thread being about "sunglasses" those are used during the daytime with the sun shining in your face.

Now lets hear what you would do for those that have a medical condition of the eye that impedes their night driving but not enough for them to stay off the road. What would you do to make them more comfortable driving at night? What would you do for the truck driver who is over the road at night time?

And those strong comments of using sunglasses at night time is just how I feel also except I would add one more item to the list. CELL PHONES! Run into me while I'm on my motorcycle or in my truck or any loved one of mine first thing I'm looking for, did you have your phone with you and using it at the time? Next I want to know what kind of restrictions are on your license. Oh my! Look your supposed to have "corrective lenses" Where and what are they and I hope you were using them. And also when was your last eye exam.

My "intelligent" input of the day would be to start with the recommendation of the Yellow A polz lens first..then if my pt was not wanting that the only other choice would be a brn A... I think I learned once that to comply to law (not sure if this was Fed or OR) a lens could not have more than a 30% tint.
Not saying I am right, just what I think

[GokhanSF]

+1

My "intelligent" input of the day would be to start with the recommendation of the Yellow A polz lens first..then if my pt was not wanting that the only other choice would be a brn A... I think I learned once that to comply to law (not sure if this was Fed or OR) a lens could not have more than a 30% tint.
Not saying I am right, just what I think

[anthonyf1509]

Unless he looks like this!!!

Get to de chop-pa!

[CCGREEN]

Thanks n711. Now we are getting somewhere. I concur with your idea.

Anyone else have patients with retinitis pigmentosa, macula degeneration, taking medications or other retinal disorders that they have REDUCED night vision but not quite enough that they are ready to give up night driving. What have you done to help them?

I work in a ophthalmologist office and of course our patients are elderly with reduced night vision. I am always looking for ideas to help improve the quality of their life. The best I have come up with is light yellow lens with AR on it. And yes I can see the benefit of it being polarized at night if you can get a lens light enough in color. And no im not looking for the lenses to look pretty, I am looking for funcitional. Any other colors that you feel may work better?

Now in general practice I would not recommend doing such for everyone to use at night because there will be those that want to abuse it. I'm specifically speaking of those with a medical condition that are looking for improvement.

[Robert_S]

There is a lens called 'Vistamesh'... have you heard of that?

I didn't like the concept at all but we did two free trials with patients and both said it reduced glare from headlights.

I haven't sold any though as I'm still reluctant to advise them.

[Fezz]

OK we have heard a lot of snide smart remarks from people about "sunglasses" I don't recall this thread being about "sunglasses" those are used during the daytime with the sun shining in your face.

Hey CC,

You may want to take your sunglasses off and re-read the title of this thread!


"Wear polarized sunglasses at rainy night to reduce blinding headlight glare !?"

[Robert Martellaro]

Forensic Aspects of Vision and Highway Safety
- Merrill J. Allen, Bernard S. Abrams, Arthur P. Ginsburg, Leslie Weintraub

Do Yellow Glasses Impair Night Driving Vision
- Oscar White Richards

Apparent Brightness Increases with Yellow Light
- Richard Donovan Septon

http://www.aoa.org/x5352.xml

http://www.visualexpert.com/Resources/olderdrivers.html