Do yellow wrap glasses help w/ night driving?

[mj7105]

Have more concern when driving in dark areas or at sunset. Have seen those wrap around $10 TV specials for years and know they must be garbage. Saw another version recently and wondered about them. Can those glasses over regular glasses help in certain diminished light situations?  Make dark roads more visible beyond the white line? My one friend who purchased 2 pair doesn't seem to know more than he sees beautiful rose colored mountains while driving in daylight. 

[CandyG314005]

Yes they help. Many seniors used them from Aging Resource Centers. They are not garbage at all. Just not helpful for night driving though. 

[CandyG314005]

Yellow glasses help with anti -glare from snow. They do not help with night driving. They are worth getting and do work if you want to help with glare for reasons others than night driving and headlights. I like the goggle wrap around type that go over glasses. 

[BronwynM413834]

Hi, there...

I had two sets as I battle seeing and driving at night. My first set was barely yellow, it had a very faint tint and worker wonderfully. They didn't change the color of objects, etc during the day and only had a yellow tint at night when there were lights from the front. However, I lost them and had to get another pair. This pair was so not the same. They were actually yellow and did not work at all. I got both pairs from an ophthalmologist, yet, one worked wonders and the other not at all 🙂

Hope this helps 🙂

Thanks for sharing and caring 🙂

[mj7105]

You are one of only 2 who responded saying they had purchased some type of yellow glasses. I really appreciate your input.  Sounds as though your optomotrist/ophthalmologist was a sales person and not focused on your eyes.  Guess the supplier changed and your original lighter tint was not as easily found.  You deserved better service and should have been offered an alternative to match your first glasses.  Good luck.  I will stay away from the $10-$20 "As-Seen-On-TV" Offers.  

[Loulit]

http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/how-to/g106/10-safety-tips-for-driving-after-dark/

Have you seen ads proclaiming that yellow-tint sunglasses will help you see better at night? Don't believe them. The Sunglass Association of America says that yellow-lens glasses sold for night driving only make you think you see better. 

The thought behind these glasses is that they might enhance contrast, helping you to distinguish objects in the dark. In reality, these hokey glasses actually cut down on the amount of light you can see. The smart choice is to use prescription glasses that have an anti-reflective coating, which keeps light from bouncing around inside your lenses. And as a bonus, these glasses have been shown to allow more light in. 

[mj7105]

Thanks for your response. Received several in agreement with you. 

[mj7105]

Thanks for the response.  Wondered since I have never noticed anyone wearing them. 

[Loulit]

http://www.laramyk.com/your-edge-independence/

The Dangers of Night Driving Glasses

 [W]hen driving at night or dusk in already

limited lighting conditions, ANY tint further

reduces the amount of light transmitted

to the eye, and consequently, further impairs vision. 

"Yellow 'Night Driving' lenses have been shown to

provide no benefit in seeing ability at night.
They are even hazardous, because they give

the driver a feeling of seeing better, which

no one has yet been able to explain.

Studies have shown that they actually

impair visual performance and

retard glare recovery. Many promoters have

made unfounded claims for the ability of

amber to improve night vision. They have

employed mass solicitation, usually by mail.

The Federal Trade Commission has correctly

ruled that such practices are illegal since the

lenses do not perform as claimed.

" - Forensic Aspects of Vision and

Highway Safety", Merrill J. Allen, O.D., Ph.D., Et al.

Tips for optimal night time driving vision:
- Make sure eyes are examined regularly
- Always wear an up-to-date prescription
- Lenses worn should be clear with an AR coating
- Ensure lenses are clean
- Ensure windshield is clean
- Ensure headlights are clean and properly aligned

Responsible dispensers of ophthalmic lenses

should discourage the use of tinted, polarized,

or photochromic lenses in night time or

dusk driving conditions and not participate

in solicitation or marketing of

so-called night driving glasses by irresponsible manufacturers.

There is no magic bullet. A pair of $19.99 glasses will not fix,

and may indeed increase, your night vision problems.

You may talk yourself into thinking they work

so you can avoid the time, trouble, and expense

of seeing an optometrist, and that's dangerous.

If something sounds too good to be true....

[mj7105]

Thank you for your comments.

[mj7105]

Thank you for your response. 

[Loulit]

http://www.laramyk.com/your-edge-independence/

"Yellow 'Night Driving' lenses have been shown to provide no benefit.

[mj7105]

I have a Retinal Specialist in addition to an Ophthalmologist I visit annually.  Was curious about the $10-$20 TV and flyer glasses.  Have never noticed anyone wearing them so thought I would check the AARP community. Thank you. 

[Lynetteod856]

They absolutely help.  I’m 65 years old & thought I was going to have to give up driving at night because I knew that I wasn’t seeing well.  Lights, especially headlights coming toward me, looked like they had a large halo around them. As did streetlights & if I was on a road larger than 2 lanes, I was really insecure about driving. And forget it if it was dark and raining both.  I actually had times where I pulled off to the side of the road, as frightening as that was for me, & waited for the rain to stop.  I saw the glasses advertised onTV & as they only cost $10, I figured I had nothing to lose & decided to try them. I am so very glad tha I did!! What a world of difference they made.  Oncoming lights are crisp & defined, the streetlighs are where they should be & im comfortable with driving at night now.  Even if it’s raining.  I have to wear regular glasses so I have to put the yellow ones on over top of them. That took a little getting used to, but it’s just wonderful.   The only thing that I won’t do is drive in heavy traffic at night.  But I do my best to avoid that all the time. I’m just a country girl and hate traffic, but at least I can feel safe driving. In the dark now.

[Loulit]

No, they don't help. I recently read about this, forget where.  The idea of a softly tinted yellow lens reducing glare and promoting focus is easy to disprove.  If you are concerned about your night vision, just go see your optometrist.

[mj7105]

Thank you for responding.

[Epster]

I found this two part series about night driving challenges and soutions from Safety Glasses USA. 

Part One

https://blog.safetyglassesusa.com/shedding-some-light-on-night-driving-challenges-and-solutions-part...

A snippet: " Use anti-reflective coating on prescription eyeglasses. Anti-reflective coating on prescription eyeglasses minimizes reflections within the glasses themselves, reduces halo problems, and increases the transmittance of light through the lens to the eye. However, if a person does not usually wear prescription eyeglasses, Laramy-K Optical says that an AR coating on any other type of glasses may not be helpful for improving nighttime vision while driving."

Part Two

https://blog.safetyglassesusa.com/shedding-some-light-on-night-driving-challenges-and-solutions-part...

This part says:  "Before trying night vision eyewear for driving, be sure to employ the tips provided in Shedding Some Light on Night Driving Challenges and Solutions, Part 1 as well as the additional tips offered by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.

If night driving eyewear still interests you after considering the other options available, keep in mind the following points regarding eyewear that may or may not improve night vision.

Lens Color and Night Vision

There are two main reasons people look for night driving glasses. First, they want to enhance contrast and depth perception in dim light. Second, they want to reduce glare from oncoming headlights. But can lens color provide any solutions to nighttime driving vision problems?

Enhancing Contrast and Depth Perception

Improving contrast and depth perception when driving at night can only be achieved during the few hours before and during dusk or at other times that are dim without being dark. A yellow/amber lens can brighten surroundings using the small amount of light available. However, these lenses require the presence of some light since benefits are lost when darkness fully descends. After dark, not much can help improve visibility.

Even with the possibility of a yellow/amber lens improving visibility for some people and in some conditions, the use of any tint once dusk hits are somewhat controversial. In fact, eye experts at Laramy-K Optical strongly discourage the use of yellow lenses for dusk and night driving because “ANY tint further reduces the amount of light transmitted to the eye.” They also quote –

Dr. Merrill J. Allen from the Forensic Aspects of Vision and Highway Safety who says that yellow lenses can “actually impair visual performances and retard glare recovery.”

Reducing Glare from Oncoming Headlights

This goal is achieved using almost any tint other than clear. However, the need to reduce glare from oncoming headlights usually applies in the dark when headlights appear even brighter by contrast. This type of glare is different than that generated by the sun. Thus, a polarized lens, which is by far the best for reducing sun glare, will not have the same benefit against headlights."

[mj7105]

Thank you very much for your response. 

[mj7105]

I had found two professional articles on night driving and coatings, but was curious about experiences with the yellow/amber TV glasses.  Thank you.