Poor Night Vision When Driving?
Struggling with poor night vision can significantly impact your ability to drive safely after dark. This common issue, affecting many drivers, can lead to decreased confidence and increased risk on the road.
In this article, we explore the underlying causes of diminished night vision and provide actionable strategies to enhance your visual clarity during nighttime driving.
From understanding the role of eye health in night vision to practical tips for improving visibility, our guide aims to empower you with the knowledge to navigate the roads more safely at night.
Can an optometrist help me with poor night vision when driving?
Yes, an optometrist is the most qualified person to help you with night vision when driving.
An optometrist can assess your vision and determine if you have any underlying conditions or vision problems contributing to your difficulties.
Five reasons that can affect night vision when driving
There are a few possible reasons why you might struggle with night vision while driving:
1. You may have a refractive error. Blurry vision will cause you to miss seeing Important details and enlarge oncoming headlight glare so that it is more debilitating.
2. You may have an underlying medical condition, which can impair your night vision.
3. Glare from oncoming headlights or streetlights can impair your night vision.
4. Your eyes may need to be correctly adjusted to the darkness. It takes time for your eyes to adapt to low light levels, so if you’re driving from a well-lit area into a darker one, it can take a few minutes for your eyes to adjust.
5. You may not get enough sleep or have undiagnosed sleep disorders such as sleep apnoea, which can affect your ability to concentrate and delay your reaction speed at night.
Book an eye exam
Based on your assessment results, an optometrist can recommend appropriate solutions to your night vision difficulties.
They can diagnose eye diseases such as cataracts or macular degeneration and organize treatment for these to minimize their impact to your vision.
An optometrist can correct your sight with glasses, contact lenses or with special lenses designed to enhance contrast and reduce glare, or they may recommend vision therapy to improve your ability to see at night.
Once eye disease is managed, giving you the clearest vision will give you the ability to see the maximum level of detail that you need to see, while shrinking the size of oncoming headlight glare. This is the most important tool that you can use to improve your night vision.
Specially ground lenses designed for you by your optometrist often provide the best night vision solution.
Using durable materials which are designed to minimize distortions will give the clearest vision and last well. These lenses will be even more effective when using the right coatings on the lenses.
We always suggest that you book an annual eye exam. Gradual changes in your vision are often not noticed.
Anti-reflective coating glasses for night driving
Anti-reflective (AR) coatings eliminate reflections from the front and back surfaces of your spectacle lenses. These reflections can cause glare from oncoming headlights and streetlights, which is distracting and makes it difficult to see clearly.
It is a clear coating which enhances contrast.
In addition to reducing glare, AR coating can also improve the cosmetic appearance of your glasses.
Reducing reflections off the front surface of the lenses make your glasses look more attractive and allows others to see your eyes more easily.
Overall, AR coating on prescription will enhance visual clarity and reduce glare during night driving, making it easier and safer to see the road.
Do blue light filters help?
Some people report that blue light filters help with night driving by reducing glare and eyestrain, but they don’t provide additional benefit to everyone. A blue light filter is an option which can be added as an additional feature on top of an anti-reflective coating and it may help.
Should I buy over the counter yellow-tinted glasses?
Yellow-tinted lenses without any spectacle correction have been marketed as a solution for night driving problems. It is argued that they improve contrast and filter blue light.
Lens tinting of any colour is not recommended because any tinting in the lenses will reduce the overall light entering your eyes and diminish visual ability.
Yellow-tinted lenses don’t correct any blur or aberrations within the eye or any differences between the eyes.
Most of these lenses are made from lens materials which are manufactured under high heat conditions which can warp or distort the lenses. The materials are easily scratched and often perish quickly.
What should I do if I am having problems with night driving?
Have your eyes checked by your optometrist. They will help you to find the best solution for your night vision problems.
The team at Eyes By Design are experienced when it comes to eye conditions and all things relating to vision.
Book in to have an eye test and you will have a through eye exam to see what improvements can be made or suggested with driving at night time.
This article is intended to promote understanding of and knowledge about general eye health topics.
It should not be used as a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis or treatment.
Always seek the advice of your health care professional prior to incorporating this as part of your health regimen.
Dr Nicholas Altuneg
For over two decades, my greatest passion has been helping people of all ages live improved lives through better vision. At Eyes by Design, vision is so much more than being able to see clearly or read small letters from far away; it determines your perceptions and reactions every second of the day.
Read more about Dr Nick
