Help! Night Driving Glare Problems.....

[skirk1975]

What are your experiences with combatting night driving glare. Other than AR. I have read articels that state that there should never be a tint used for night driving. Anyone have anyting to add? Yellow, Blue, Amber ? I really need some feedback. Help.

[sjthielen]

try using a yellow polarized lens with AR, you might also try having the doctor give them a little more minus for night driving.

[mrba]

yellow is good, it filters blue light... polarized? mmm wouldn't polarize.

[chip anderson]

Believe it or not, cleaning the windows very well both inside and out on the vehicle works more wonders that the best spectale lenses ever made.

Chip

[sjthielen]

why not polarized? I believe hobie made some non rx night driving glasses that were yellow polarized lenses.

[keithbenjamin]

- Use AR
- Make sure the prescription is up to date
- Clean your lenses
- Clean your windshield

Polarized, photochromic, or tinted lenses of any kind should not be worn at night.

“So-called night driving glasses are generally amber tinted eyewear meant to reduce the glare of oncoming headlights. While they may make the driver feel more comfortable, they also reduce the wearers visibility of the darker portions of the roadway.” - Sunglass Association of America

"Yellow ‘Night Driving’ lenses have been shown to provide no benefit in seeing ability at night. They are even hazardous, because they give the driver a feeling of seeing better, which no one has yet been able to explain. Studies have shown that they actually impair visual performance and retard glare recovery. Many promoters have made unfounded claims for the ability of amber to improve night vision. They have employed mass solicitation, usually by mail. The Federal Trade Commission has correctly ruled that such practices are illegal since the lenses do not perform as claimed." - Forensic Aspects of Vision and Highway Safety", Merrill J. Allen, O.D., Ph.D., Et al.

From one of the articles you probably read...

The Dangers of Night Driving Glasses

-K

[mrba]

Polarized lenses by definition cut (filter) the amount of light through the lens in one meridian.

I would assume you would like to see lights in the dark, hence, polarized lenses aren't a good idea.

In terms of Yellow light, yellow will make certain wavelengths appear brighter. I don't need a study for this, its basic physics. However whether or not this will help night driving is probably subjective. Blue light will be filtered and you will see other wavelenths more vividly because of that. Whether or not it will cut glare or help you see better is subjective I think.

Try it for fun!:cheers:

[keithbenjamin]

Then basic physics ought to tell you that ANY tint on a lens will reduce the amount of light to the eye. Reducing the amount of light to the eye in limited lighting conditions doesn't make much sense.

You may be able to reduce the intensity of oncoming headlights, but you are hindering your ability to see other objects that may not be lit as brightly as an oncoming head light. Furthermore, the tint may increase contrast, making certain wavelengths appear brighter, but they are doing that by blocking other wavelengths (limiting light to eye). The key word there is "appear." Those "brighter" wavelengths haven't actually been amplified in anyway and may actually give the driver the impression he is seeing better, when he/she actually is not.

[mrba]

I agree. I think a touch of yellow isnt going to hurt though. And I think polar A filter which cuts at least 50% in one miridian is cutting way too much light. A 5-10% yellow might be nice.

Please note also that not everyone's receptors are the same...We normal seeing people shouldn't make assumptions since obviously someone is having much different issues driving than us.

I think cleaning the windshield is a really good idea too.

Basically its all back to the rods and the cone heads

[Cowboy]

I think that we are missing some pertinent information. We have yet to determine if an Rx is being used. Are glasses actually being worn? Is the glare being produced from a different source? What is the current method of attempt to correct? Age Factor - dealing with cataracts?
We are jumping in to give advice on how to correct a problem that has not been properly diagnosed.

Skirk,

Please be more specific. Answer the questions above, including your Rx, if applicable. The more information you can provide will assist in the proper selection of sollutions.



:cheers:

Cowboy

[Rophod]

IMHO, clear AR treated lenses are the best for night driving.
Other glare sources that you have no control over are;
dirty or scratched windshild, cataracts or other organic problem with the media of the eye and improper Rx. I am not big on tinted lenses at night. It just cuts down on light when you need all you can get.

[chip anderson]

I can't say personally if this is good or bad but I have a number of patients who say Autumn Gold (changeable glass yellow to brown) solves thier night driving problems. AR coat wouldn't hurt but none of them have it.

There is still a lot to be said for cleaning all the windows and mirrors in the car both inside and out.

Chip