30/10/17How can I see better driving at night?
Now that the clocks have gone back and the days are shorter, we all find that we are driving more in the dark. Some people may find they have more difficulties seeing in low light. Over the winter months, with darker days the demands on our eyes are more exacting. If you find yourself squinting at signs, having to concentrate harder at night or being dazzled by car headlights, you are not alone and help is at hand.
Shockingly, poor vision is the cause of an estimated 2,900 road casualties each year. If in doubt, get your eyes tested to make sure your vision is corrected to it’s optimum level.
So why is it that people struggle with driving at night?
Problems with vision in the winter actually begin in the early evening as glare from low-lying sun can make it hard to see. That time before the sun finally sets is very bright and sometimes the sun visor isn’t enough. It can be helpful to have a pair of sunglasses which you leave in the car.
Once darkness sets in, many people report that their distance vision isn’t so good. The reason that driving in the dark is more difficult is mostly associated with our pupils getting larger. With our pupils increased in size, peripheral optics of the eye become more important. Our depth of field also decreases making distances not so easy to judge.
Any already existing visual imperfection can seem accentuated in the dark. People who have a moderate to high astigmatism can suffer more when their pupils are enlarged. Others can even suffer from something known as Night Myopia. It is therefore a good idea to have an eye test as soon as you notice any kind of problem.
There are multiple solutions that your optician can offer if you have trouble driving at night. If you require distance correction, choosing a good quality lens with an anti-reflection coating can help with the halos from car headlights.
A more advanced solution to problems with night driving is the Drivesafe Lens from Carl Zeiss Vision. This specialist lens has been designed using research on how people naturally change directions of gaze as they drive. The issue of dilated pupils at night is combated by technology they call The Luminance Design.®
The DriveSafe lens design is particularly successful for people who wear varifocals. The varifocal zones on DriveSafe lenses allow clarity of the crucial distances used for driving; the distance ahead, the street, use of mirrors and your dashboard. The DriveSafe Lens design has been shown to incorporate up to a 43% larger mid-distance zone for easier focus switching between the dashboard and mirrors, and up to 14% larger far-distance vision zone for a wider view of the road.*
On top of this, the DuraVision DriveSafe coating reduces perceived glare making rainy nights or artificially lit areas significantly easier to cope with.
There are many options available to make you feel more confident when driving in the dark or at twilight this winter. Book an eye test or pop in to discuss your best options. For more details on the Zeiss DriveSafe lens, you can watch this short video.
*Source: Zeiss – https://www.zeiss.co.uk/vision-care/en_gb/products-services/spectacle-lenses/drivesafe-lenses