What are night vision glasses for driving and how effective they are? During the day, drivers can easily find their way and eliminate the risk of accidents. But at night, not only do they have to contend with reduced visibility, but also increased glare from oncoming traffic. If you’re struggling to see, then it’s hard for your safety – and that of other pedestrians, animals, and motorists – to be ensured.
Driving at night poses many risks to your vision, including difficulty in depth perception, distinguishing colors, and a loss of peripheral vision.
Furthermore, glare from other cars, headlamps, and streetlights can cause havoc for those with prescription eyewear.
What are Night Vision Glasses for Driving?
Night vision glasses for driving are often non-prescription (or with prescription) spectacles with yellow-tinted lenses. They have a special coating to help reduce light reflections from streetlights, oncoming headlights, and other bright sources of light which can cause eyestrain. Some night vision driving glasses also have polaroid features.
Night driving glasses are a type of eyewear that is similar to venerated shooting glasses, which are typically associated with sports. It’s been around for a long time and its lens can sometimes be identical to night vision glasses for driving.
Eye Conditions that Cause Difficult Night Vision and Driving
Many people have worse sight when it’s dark or in low light environments, and this is especially true for elderly people. You’ll likely need twice as much light as you did when you were younger to see the same distances or brightness.
There are also other eye diseases such as cataracts, or glaucoma that might make it difficult for older adults to see at night.
There are a number of conditions that make it hard to see at night. This can have serious implications on your driving abilities.
Night Blindness of Nyctalopia
Poor vision at night is sometimes called “night blindness” or “nyctalopia”.
Night blindness is a medical condition that makes it difficult to see in the dark or in low lighting. It does not, however, mean you can’t see at night. You might have trouble driving at night or reading in dim light, for example.
Night blindness makes it difficult for the eyes to switch from bright light to dark conditions. This may be an issue while driving at night when you’re coming up to headlamps in oncoming traffic
Night blindness can affect people of all ages and is often a symptom of aging. The eye changes that happen in the 40s can make it harder to see at night. The common eye changes that start to happen after the forties include cataracts, reduced pupil size, and weakness of iris muscles.
The lack of vitamin A can cause night blindness. However, this is most likely to occur in people who don’t eat enough healthy food. It’s also possible that certain health problems, such as diabetes, might affect your vision.
Vitamin A Deficiency
A lack of vitamin A can lead to blindness. This is because it’s necessary for the retina to properly function. It’s important to know that vitamin A deficiencies are common in developing countries and can be easily prevented with a supplement or by adding foods rich in vitamin A, like carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach, and kale, into one’s diet.
The earliest symptoms of Vitamin A deficiency are often difficulty seeing at night or in low light. If diagnosed quickly, these symptoms can be reversed with dietary supplements and care from a medical professional.
Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP)
Retinitis pigmentosa is a rare genetic disorder that affects the retina. It causes the cells in the retina to degrade which reduces night vision and peripheral vision. These cells are sensitive to light and help you see in the low light condition.
The symptoms of retinitis pigmentosa vary from person to person, but many experiences blurry vision, tunnel vision, or reduced field of vision, and difficulty seeing in dim light or at night.
Glaucoma (the silent stealer of sight)
Glaucoma is a disease caused by an obstruction of the fluid that usually drains from the eye. The buildup of fluid causes increased pressure in the eye damaging the optic nerve, which can lead to irreversible vision loss and reduce peripheral vision. This disorder is most common among older adults but can affect people of any age.
Nearsightedness or Myopia
Myopia is a visual impairment that prevents you from seeing objects at a distance. It might also be more difficult to see in low-light conditions. A distinct form of myopia that only occurs at night is known as night myopia.
Cataract
Cataracts are a common eye condition that leads to a gradual reduction in vision. This condition causes the lens of your eye to become cloudy, limiting your vision and making it difficult to see. There are many different types of cataracts that cause cloudy vision and reduced night vision, but the most prevalent are age-related cataracts, which affect over half of all people by the age of 80.
Do Night Vision Glasses for Driving Work?
There are many night-vision driving glasses available on the market. But do they work? Manufacturers will tell you different things, but it’s not known if night vision glasses are for driving work or not.
According to some wearers, night driving glasses might be better than usual. However, with the help of vision tests, it has been confirmed that they don’t affect night vision while drivers see pedestrians at the same speed as usual.
Although few studies have been conducted to see the effectiveness of night vision glasses for driving, none of them has pointed out the clear-cut benefits of these night vision glasses.
A 2019 research showed that night vision driving glasses make it a little more difficult to adjust to nighttime driving, making your vision slightly worse.
Best Glasses for Night Driving
Night driving glasses can help clear your vision on a night drive, but there are other things you can do to keep your night vision clearer. Here are some tips for clarity.
Many people report that when they wear night vision glasses, their night vision is blurred. However, once the eye doctor has corrected any refractive errors in their eyes, they’ll be surprised at how much clearer they can see at night.
Moreover, prescription glasses with an anti-reflection coating (AR coating) can be ideal for drivers and in many cases help people with nearsightedness, astigmatism, or farsightedness at night. They allow almost all light to your eyes which helps with evening or night vision.
The best way to drive at night is to do so in a condition that’s appropriate for your eyes. Visit the optometrist to find out your eye and vision condition, and follow what they recommend.
Improve your night vision with these solutions
Night driving can be a major concern for many people, but there are some things you can do to help reduce potential vision problems.
- It is important to keep your eyeglass prescription up to date so that you can get the correct lens for your eyes. This is best done with regular check-ups.
- Ask your optometrist about the options and benefits of choosing glasses with an antireflective coating.
- Ensuring that your glasses are clean can eliminate glare, so always use a clean cloth to wipe them down before driving.
- When driving in the evening or at night you need to make sure your windshield is clean on both the inside and outside since dirt, dust, and other debris can cause glare that makes it difficult to see.
- Your wipers should be replaced regularly to maintain a safe level of visibility on the road.
- To avoid eye strain at night, keep dashboard lights dim when driving.
- Clean the dirt and grime that accumulates on your headlight.
- If you notice any changes in your night vision, schedule an appointment with an eye doctor.
It can be very difficult to stay safe while driving at night. There are many ways to do this including: driving only when you are well-rested, paying extra care when driving in rush hour traffic in the evening, and don’t drive while under the influence of alcohol or other drugs. These tips will make your nighttime drives safer and less stressful.
When to See a Doctor?
A number of underlying health conditions as well as eye problems can be successfully treated, often reducing or eliminating night blindness.
If you can’t see properly when driving at night, consult your doctor. They may be able to restore your lost night vision, which will make it safer for both you and other people on the road.
Your eye specialists (optometrists or ophthalmologists) will take a detailed medical history and explore your symptoms to diagnose the cause of night blindness. They will also do a physical examination of your eyes to identify treatment options.
Treatable causes of blurry vision in the daytime and night, such as cataracts can be easily treated, which will significantly restore your vision.
