There are many potential hazards that can occur on the road while you are driving. But not all is a hopeless cause. In fact, preventing sun glare from impacting your vision when you are driving is something that you can control by wearing sunglasses.
That’s right. That’s why a majority of drivers wear sunglasses in one form or another while behind the wheel during daylight hours.
But which form of sunglasses are the best? In this brief article, we’ll examine several options. But first, let’s start with a popular selection that isn’t particularly the best choice while driving.
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Practicality over popularity: transition lenses
So let’s talk about transition lenses.
Transition, or photochromic, lenses automatically adjust to UV light. These lenses darken when exposed to the sun and return to a clear state indoors. Because of this, they are a convenient choice in almost any situation.
But here’s why they are not ideal when driving. Automobile windshields are designed to screen out UV rays nowadays, thereby blocking the light that changes transitions. In many instances, your standard transition lenses will not darken in the car.
So unless you wear a pair of clip-on sunglasses over your photochromic lenses while in the car, transitions wouldn’t be your go-to option for driving.
That being said, let’s get into some lenses that you’ll definitely want on your radar while driving on a sunny day.
Great sunglasses for driving
Polarized lenses
Sunglasses with polarized lenses are a far better choice for driving than transitions–here’s why.
A polarized coating contains molecules that allow vertical light rays to pass while absorbing horizontal ones. The effect of this is the elimination of glare and an increase in contrast – two very useful functions when you’re out on the road. And if you add the proper tint, you’ve got a great set of sunglasses.
One last thing to consider before we move on is that these glasses will always retain the same shade, and therefore might not work as well in some lighting situations.
Tinted/Color/Mirror finishing lenses
Lenses that are tinted, colored, or with a mirror finish are great choices for driving. They block out the sun’s rays to one extent or another, giving you clear vision and focus while on the road.
The color you choose is important for the type of driving you’ll engage in. Brown and gray tints are great for bright, sunny weather. Yellows, ambers, reds, and oranges, on the other hand, are better for low-light conditions like at dawn or dusk, or on cloudy days.
The only drawback to these types of lenses is that they do not work in a multifunctional manner so you don’t get as much versatility–nevertheless, they will come in handy when you’re driving.
Last, we’ll talk about drivewear lenses. As the name implies, they are designed for driving and offer the perfect blend of desirable options when you are behind the wheel–let’s see why.
Drivewear lenses incorporate unique photochromic dyes that respond to both UV and visible light technology.
Drivewear also use the NuPolar polarization process for optimum glare protection. When it combined these two technologies, Drivewear became the first polarized photochromic lens to darken behind the windshield of an automobile
The result?
A pair of sunglasses that blocks glare and always reaches the ideal tint level for any given light condition. In fact, the original Drivewear begins as an amber shade, transitioning to polarized brown. In low lit conditions, the amber shade delivers a high contrast so you can see bumps and dips in the road. In bright light, however, polarized brown removes extra light and provides visual clearness–on even the sunniest of days.
Ultimately, while driving in highly lit areas, you want to protect your eyes from the sun to avoid a distraction on the road, as well as harmful UV light that can cause damage to your eyes.
There are several options you could choose as a way to help with driving on the road and we’re here to help you.
At RX Safety, we carry an array of sunglasses with mirror tints, and are polarized, as well as the others mentioned in this article that can help you move safely about on the road–all while protecting your eyesight.