Sunglasses are just a fashion accessory, right? Well if you are really concerned about driving safe, you need to alter your perception. Along with style statement, sunglasses, definitely serve as a safety accessory that protects your eyes from harmful and distracting rays when you hit the road.
While driving down those city streets, highway or rural trails, blazing sunshine, blowing dust, stormy weather, glare from windshield, can be a real distraction and one of the prime reasons for accidents. Wearing the right pair of sunglasses while driving will safeguard your eyes and also enhance visibility. However you need to understand that not every pair of sunglasses will offer you vision protection, in fact, it can have negative impact too.
We have scrutinised some options that will help you to pick ideal pair of sunglasses for driving:
Photochromic Lenses
Photochromic or transition lenses are a convenient choice for driving as the tint level is automatically adjusted as per the light conditions. It darkens according to the UV light and gets back to the normal state in indoors. However, if you are driving a car, you need to be careful with transition lenses. The windshield of the car already blocks a certain amount of UV rays hence photochromic lenses may appear darker than required as it will adjust as per the light condition in the car.
Polaroid Sunglasses
Glares can strain your eyes extremely and can be a major distraction while driving. Polarised sunglasses are specially designed to reduce glare and enhance vision. Whether it’s a sunny day or foggy condition, the special chemical film on polarised lenses are ideal as it cuts down the glare and reduce reflection caused due to wet surfaces. It also increases the contrast which helps you in safe driving. Polarised lens only allows the vertical light to enter the eye which is useful for driving.
Tinted Lenses
Tinted sunglasses are better option for driving as it blocks out the sun rays from all directions. You need to choose the right shade to safeguard your eyes in the right way. The shade depends a lot on the outdoor condition. If you are driving on a bright sunny day, you can go for grey and brown shades while if it’s a cloudy day or if you are driving during dusk or dawn, tints like red, orange, amber, yellow will be really helpful. However, it’s a downside that you cannot use any single type of sunglasses for every light condition.
UV Protective Lenses
Driving in the sun? UV protection is a must. UV protection glasses safeguard your eyes from the harmful ultraviolet radiation emitted from the sun. The dangerous UV light can lead to major vision problems like macular degeneration and cataracts. Hence make sure your driving sunnies are UV protected.
Glasses With Special Lens Coating
The new age sunglasses come with additional benefits. Special lens coating ensures you with improved vision clarity and hassle-free driving experience. There are different coatings like anti-glare coating that reduces the glare affecting your vision while driving, anti-reflective coating that eliminates the irritating reflections. You can also opt for anti-scratch coating as scratches on glasses can hamper your eyesight and cause a distraction while driving.
Aviator Style Sunglasses
The sunglasses style which is always in vogue and always in function – The classic aviator sunglasses offer ultimate style as well as comfort to the wearer. Most of the branded Aviator sunglasses come with 100% UV protection which safeguards your eyes from harmful sun rays and ensures safe driving.
What to Avoid While Choosing Sunglasses for Driving?
No Thick Frames
Thick frames block your peripheral vision that may hinder your vision while driving. This can be actually dangerous, so it’s wise to avoid thick frames.
Lens Tints to Avoid
It might be fashionable but it’s better to avoid lens tints like pink, green or blue as it makes difficult to distinguish few colors, especially red. Identifying traffic lights can be a major problem. Also, avoid dark colored lens tints while driving.
Don’t Overlook Comfort
With style and safety, even comfort counts. Wearing uncomfortable, loose or too tight glasses can cause a distraction while driving. Especially during long drives, misfitting sunnies can be irritating. It is not possible to judge whether the glasses are comfortable or not without using it. However, customer reviews can help you in deciding.
Safety is very crucial while driving. Right pair of sunglasses will guarantee you with untrammelled visibility which in turn will make your driving smooth and safe.
