Night vision problems driving

Driving safely at night – Night driving and vision

Why can’t I see well when driving at night?

Driving safely at night can be a worry for people as autumn nights draw in. Driving at dusk or in darkness becomes more common and in turn, vision issues become more apparent, leaving many people wondering why their vision at night appears worse, even though they are wearing their glasses.

Driving at night is generally seen as riskier than driving during the day and darkness means our eyes have to work harder to identify hazards and keep us safe on the roads.

Lights from vehicle headlights and streetlamps create glare and reflections on glasses when driving at night, which can be very distracting and leave you feeling uncomfortable and unsafe.

If you actively avoid driving at night, or need to drive at night but have lost confidence in your night vision, we have solutions that can help.

If you are due an eye examination, we recommend booking one to rule out any potential eye condition (see night-blindness below). With any eye conditions ruled out, our experienced opticians can provide a suitable solution to restore your driving confidence.

Trouble seeing whilst driving at night?

Anti-glare lens coatings for driving at night

We work with one of Europe’s leading lens manufacturer, BBGR, to provide a wide variety of lenses and coatings, tailored to suit your vision and lifestyle requirements. 

Night Drive Boost is a special lens coating for glasses, optimised for driving at night. This coating significantly reduces visual discomfort commonly caused by the glare associated with night driving, so you can feel safer and more confident behind the wheel on autumn and winter nights.

  • A clear lens, for wearing both day and night
  • Reduces the distracting glare caused by headlights
  • Provides UV protection during the day
  • Resistant to water, finger marks, dust and micro-scratches
  • Optimised for night driving

The coating does not affect the appearance of the lenses and are suitable for wearing both during the day and at night. To upgrade your glasses with a lens coating for driving, please contact us and speak to a member of our friendly team.

How do anti glare lens treatments work?

BBGR Night Drive Boost lenses feature Reflect Control technology, minimising reflections from glare at night without compromising on the day-time performance of your lenses. At night, wearers will notice a significant decrease in the effect of the bright light halos associated with modern Xenon and LED headlights from other vehicles.

BBGR Night Drive Boost

What can cause night blindness?

Night blindness (nyctalopia) is the name given to problems with vision in low light or darkness.

Nyctalopia can be caused by cataracts, glaucoma, myopia and other eye conditions and can pose serious risks when driving at night. Common symptoms of night-blindness include seeing halos or glare around headlights and streetlamps, blurred vision and sensitivity to light.

If you experience any of these symptoms when driving at night, it’s important to book an eye examination so your optician can identify any potential eye conditions.

Depending on the cause of night-blindness, our experienced opticians can provide a suitable solution to restore your confidence behind the wheel.

Night Blindness Driving at Night

Glasses with night driving lens coating

If you’re considering glasses with a night-driving lens coating, please arrange an appointment with us.

If you have a recent spectacle prescription then all you need to do is arrange an appointment with one of our expert dispensing opticians and we can take it from there. You can book an appointment online – choose a Spectacle Dispensing Appointment as this will be with the right person and for the right amount of time.

Our Vision Care members receive 20% off all glasses including those with lens coating options. 

If you need further advice, please call us on 01273 843946.