Q: My daughter was in an accident last month, when a truck struck her car at an intersection. The other driver claimed he didn’t even see her because of the glare! Is this possible?
A: You would be surprised by the number of vehicle accidents attributed by the police to “blinding glare”. It is estimated that over 9000 vehicle accidents each year are blamed on glare and loss of clear vision while driving!
This hazard is especially of concern early and late in the day, when the sun is lower in the sky. Glare is essentially reflected sunlight off the highway, and it can block out your view of a vehicle or pedestrian in the road. This is such a significant hazard, and yet preventable with polarized sunglasses.
Conventional, and usually inexpensive, sunglasses only darken your vision. These “over the counter” or “drugstore sunglasses” are generally made with plastic lenses that easily become scratched as well. That also worsens vision clarity, as scratches add “light scattering” that reduces your visual contrast.
Polarized lenses are better primarily because they actually erase the reflected glare from the road and other vehicles. Yes, they darken your vision too, but the glare cancellation feature is the main reason to use only polarized lenses. These can be made in glass or more commonly special polymers like polycarbonate to give sharp vision and yet resist scratches or breakage.
Polarized lenses now come in several colors, but most people prefer dark gray or dark brown. Generally, anyone over the age of 50 will find sharper contrast with brown polarized lenses instead of the more common gray. Both are equally adept at eliminating glare and allowing you to actually see more on the road.
I am amazed at the drivers I see on the highway squinting into the sun, trying to see better. Using polarized lenses, either as a clip on option, or better yet, a true pair made in your best distance vision prescription will make your driving far more comfortable and significantly safer. Lastly, do not be mislead by some of those ads on tv and online promoting yellow or amber sun lenses…..as they increase brightness and are not best for daytime glare reduction. Enjoy our longer, sunnier summer days, but do all you can to be safer on the highway!