Night driving poses greater challenges such as decreased visibility, glare from approaching headlights, and visual fatigue caused by artificial light. Some drivers buy special sunglasses for driving at night to see better. While regular shades darken things, night-driving glasses are designed to clarify things and cut glare.
This article lists some of the best sunglasses for night driving along with their benefits to make your nighttime journey more informed.
Night Driving Glasses with Yellow Tint
You may have seen one of the most popular choices for night driving — yellow-tinted glasses. These lenses help reduce streetlight and headlight glare and boost contrast in low-light conditions. Blue light blocking glasses work by filtering out blue light, a known cause of eye strain and discomfort. Such heightened contrast makes it easier to identify objects, pedestrians, and street signs for those behind the wheel. Yellow-tinted lenses can also help improve depth perception, which is why they are a great option for night drivers to improve night vision.
Polarized Night Driving Glasses
Polarized lenses are thought of mostly for daytime use, but there are benefits for night driving, too. These lenses filter out horizontal light waves and eliminate glare and are perfect for reducing the brightness of headlights and reflections off wet roads. They may not light up the world, but they do make the driving experience more comfortable by reducing light variations and allowing better focus on the road ahead. Polarized night driving glasses are beneficial for viewing in urban centers replete with excessive artificial light.
Anti-Reflective (AR) Coated Glasses
Glasses with anti-reflective (AR) coating eliminate internal reflections when light bounces between the lens and the eye. This coating enhances clarity and reduces halo effects from bright light sources commonly seen when driving at night. AR-coated glasses are a great choice for a driver accustomed to severe glare from oncoming traffic. They also aid in avoiding visual tiredness, contributing to a more comfortable and safer driving experience. If outdoor activities are your thing, you might consider to find running sunglasses that offer similar glare-reducing features for exercising during the day.
Clear Lenses with Blue Light Filtering
Drivers who don’t like tinted lenses can also opt for clear lenses with blue light filtering technology. These lenses selectively absorb high-energy blue light that causes eye strain and glare. Clear blue-light-filtering glasses preserve perception of colors as they are, which may not be said of yellow-tinted glasses, while also enhancing night visibility. They are particularly helpful for people with light-sensitive eyes or people who drive for long periods at night.
Photochromic Lenses
Photochromic lenses, or transition lenses, change with lighting conditions, darkening in bright settings and staying clear in low-light environments. They help with night driving by cutting glare from oncoming headlights while still keeping a natural level of brightness so that you can still see clearly. This allows for the versatility and convenience of rarely needing to change glasses to accommodate the transitions from day to night driving and vice versa.
Final Thoughts
Night vision driving glasses would have a huge difference in how comfortable, visible and safe you are while you are driving. From yellow-tinted glasses to enhance contrast and polarized lenses to reduce glare, to anti-reflective coating or clear blue-light-filtering lenses for everyday activities.
The smartest choice will be based on your specific needs. The investment in high-quality night driving sunglasses can help in reducing eye strain, improve clarity and eventually make nighttime driving a safer experience.
