Vision and night driving

If you drive at night or in the dark, then it is very likely that you have experienced glare at one point or another. This could be from oncoming headlights or even just street lights. Glare is quite simply a disturbance caused by light reaching the eye from an angle. It causes stray light to reach the eye, making night driving a real problem. Glare can make it difficult to see the road itself and reflect on other items such as street signs, cars, and more, making visibility even worse.

You still need anti-glare night driving lenses even with great sight

Even with great eyesight, the road is different at night. That’s because headlights (and streetlights) are much brighter than other lights you encounter during the day. They also shine directly into your eyes, making them blurry and difficult to see.

The glare from headlights can be anywhere from two to ten times brighter than any other light on the road. The effect is magnified if there’s rain or snow on your windshield or fog in the air.

You might think you’re seeing things clearly, but your brain has trouble processing this much visual information at once. Your pupils constrict to help block out some of that light (which also reduces visual acuity). Then they dilate again as you drive through darkened areas where less light is available.

Your eyes have a hard time adjusting back and forth between these extremes. After a while, they get tired, and you start seeing halos around lights — which can be very dangerous when you’re trying to stay in your lane.

What happens if you drive at night without anti-glare night driving lenses?

At night, your eyes have to work harder to see clearly. If you have problems with your vision, it is harder for you to see objects in the distance and may contribute to temporary or permanent blur. The combination of glare and wind from driving at night can contribute to dry eye.

Some people who have developed cataracts are more susceptible to glare at night due to the cataract scattering or blocking light entering the eye. Your eye doctor can examine you to determine if you have cataracts or early stages of it.

For people with astigmatism, glare can significantly impair their vision when driving. Astigmatism is a refractive error that makes the vision blurry for both near and distant objects. This means you may have trouble seeing the road even if the weather conditions are perfect and there is no glare at all.

How do anti-glare night driving lenses help?

Anti-reflective coatings are designed to help reduce the glare from headlights, streetlights, and other bright light sources when driving during night time. Mirror-like reflections off the front surface of your glasses are reduced or eliminated.

Anti-glare night driving lenses have a flat front glass which allows for the most amount of light to pass through so that you can see more clearly in low-light conditions hence no glare.

Have your eye doctor get you the best anti-glare night driving lenses

Your eye doctor can prescribe anti-glare night driving lenses. They may also come in polarized and photochromic forms. These lenses will help you see more clearly at night. But they won’t solve all your problems. You need to do everything you can to improve safety while driving at night.