When driving, your vision is extremely important for both your safety and the safety of other drivers on the roads. Having optimal vision while driving is achieved by making sure that the eyes are corrected properly and that there is appropriate sun protection. When driving in dim conditions or overcast weather, sun protection is much less important and may not be needed at all. However, in bright, sunny conditions, sun protection is necessary for driving safely. This can be in the form of prescription sunglasses, nonprescription sunglasses, or Transitions glasses.
How the Sun Affects Vision While Driving
When driving, the sun is the largest factor in determining how well one can see. If the sunlight is adequately bright, the roads, oncoming cars, and surroundings will be illuminated without being washed out by glare.
If there is insufficient sunlight, headlights are used to supply illumination to the environment.
But, when there is too much sunlight – whether an overly bright day or the angle of the sun impacts the driver — it can reduce the contrast of the surroundings including the road and other cars.
This is because the retina is bleached from the bright sunlight and is unable to appreciate any contrast due to the overwhelming white light that is coming from the sun.
This phenomenon can be experienced by anyone who is subjected to a particularly bright light such as the sun. It will lead to a large white or yellow area in the center of the vision and wash out the actual environment that would be seen.
This type of bleaching from the sun is common while driving due to the angle of the sun during sunrise and sunset which can lead to it shining directly into the eyes of a driver.
Sunglasses Help Protect Your Eyes from the Sun while Driving
The eyes are naturally protected from some of the ultraviolet light that the sun emits while in a car due to the UV-blocking properties of the car windshield.
This UV blocking is standard on all vehicles and will block most of the ultraviolet light but allows all of the visible light to pass through the windshield.
The bleaching effect of the sun is due to the visible light spectrum so the windshield offers very little protection on its own.
There are tints available that block some of this light, but there are legal restrictions on how much of the front windshield can be tinted.
The best way to protect the eyes and vision while driving is to wear protective eyewear such as sunglasses or Transitions photochromic glasses.
Sunglasses can be either prescription sunglasses that both correct the vision and offer the needed tinted lenses or can be nonprescription sunglasses that have no power but are tinted lenses to protect the eyes.
Nonprescription sunglasses can be purchased over the counter or from any optical retailer while prescription sunglasses require a valid prescription from an optometrist and to be filled at an optical retailer.
Transitions lenses are another option for those who wear glasses regularly. These lenses will change from clear lenses to tinted lenses when exposed to UV light.
There are some Transitions lenses that are designed to change to tinted lenses behind the windshield and offer protection while driving.