EYES on Autumn Driving

Autumn is upon us.  Days are shorter than nights and the weather is, just in case you hadn’t noticed, a tad wet.   “What’s this got to do with our favourite local independent optical practice?”  we hear you ask.  Well…

Driving at night or in challenging lighting conditions, such as rain or fog, can be difficult due to the glare from oncoming headlights, streetlights, or reflections on wet roads. Glare is caused by intense light that scatters when it enters the eye, making it hard to see clearly. It can lead to discomfort, eye strain, and even temporary blindness. For drivers, particularly those who wear glasses, reducing glare is essential for maintaining clear vision and ensuring safety on the road.

If you’ve bought glasses from any of those high street opticians, you’ve most likely been asked if you want a range of coatings on the lenses – with each one you choose adding to the final price.  Suddenly that super deal wasn’t quite as super…? 

At EYES on St Albans these coatings come as standard.

All our lenses are provided with anti-glare or anti-reflective (AR) coatings as these are among the most effective solutions for reducing glare on glasses. These coatings are applied to the surface of the lenses, helping to minimise reflections from both the front and back of the lens. Without such coatings, lenses can reflect light, amplifying the intensity of glare rather than reducing it. AR coatings not only improve vision in low-light conditions but also reduce the eye strain that can be caused by extended exposure to bright lights while driving.

Although seemingly a little counterintuitive, the real benefit of AR coatings is that they allow more light to pass through the lens. By reducing the amount of reflected light, the wearer experiences improved contrast and clarity, which is particularly useful at night or in conditions where light sources like headlights or streetlights can create blinding effects. This allows for a more comfortable and safer driving experience.

There is often a point where older drivers, even with AR coatings on their lenses, find the glare is still too much when driving at night.  It’s always worth booking in for an EYES examination at this stage to check there’s nothing else going on that’s affecting your vision – but it may just be the case that age has caught up with you and it’s time to rely on another driver in the evenings.

What about blue light filtering?

ALL lenses at EYES have blue light filters built within the lenses themselves, avoiding that nasty purple bloom that comes from other blue light coatings.  This helps cut out the glare, not just whilst driving but also from our everyday tech – phones, tablets and computer screens. 

As more and more headlights and streetlights are powered by the blue light emitting LED lights, we think these filters are essential for anyone wearing glasses to drive.  Anything that reduces eye strain, helps maintain clarity of vision and improves safety is a ‘must have’ in our view.

Safer, clearer driving

That’s our aim.  By reducing glare with the right pair of glasses your vision clarity improves, which leads to better reaction times when driving. You can distinguish objects, road signs, and lane markers better, even in dim conditions.

Should our premium AR coating not ‘Hit the spot’, we at EYES have an ‘Advanced driving coating’ – we will advise you on your very best options after seeing your prescription and understanding your requirements

Ready to make the change?  Pop in and see us.