Certain vision conditions can make night driving more challenging, if not dangerous. As you get older, you might become extra sensitive to glare from headlights, begin to develop night blindness, or experience blurry or double vision. If you have any of these problems, here are several tips that could help improve your driving at night.
Clean Your Windows, Mirrors and Headlights
You might not notice that your vehicle’s windshield, windows, and mirrors are dirty during the day. However, if they are dirty, you could see more glare during night driving. Another problem is if your headlights are not shining as brightly because they are also covered with dirt and road grime. Regularly cleaning your windows, windshield, mirrors, and headlights can help improve your vision when driving at night.
Switch to Night Setting on Your Rearview Mirror
Most newer vehicles have settings on their rearview mirrors that can reduce the brightness and glare from headlights behind you. Turn this feature on while driving at night.
Dim Your Dashboard Lights
It is easy to become distracted by the bright lights coming from your car’s dashboard and instrument panel. Dimming your dash at night and switching your GPS screen to night mode can help reduce distractions and any discomfort to your eyes.
Avoid Looking at Oncoming Headlights
Oncoming headlights can make it difficult to see while driving at night. When driving, avoid looking directly at oncoming headlights. Instead, keep your gaze looking straight ahead or looking toward the road’s right-lane marketing to avoid temporary visual disturbances from these lights.
Wear the Right Type of Night Driving Glasses
You might have seen eyewear advertised as specialized night-vision glasses on television or online. There is no solid evidence that these yellow-tinted glasses improve nighttime vision. They may actually make it more difficult to see at night because they reduce the amount of light entering your eyes, which makes it more difficult to see. Instead, ask your vision professional about glasses designed for night driving that have a special anti-reflective coating. These lenses help prevent light and glare from disrupting your vision during night driving.
Get Your Eyes Examined
Certain low vision eye conditions, including nearsightedness, diabetic retinopathy, cataracts, and glaucoma make it more difficult to see when driving at night. The good news is that the earlier these conditions are found, the earlier they can be treated to help improve your vision. If you have difficulty with night driving, it could be as simple as you need a change to your existing eyeglass prescription or obtaining a prescription for night driving glasses.
Call Valley Eyecare Center at (602) 955-2700 to book your next eye exam. During your exam, make sure to tell your eye doctor about any problems you may have with your overall vision, including problems with night driving.
