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Vision Tips for Safe Driving at Night

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Vision Tips for Safe Driving at Night VISION TIPS FOR FACT SAFE DRIVING AT NIGHT SHEET High-intensity discharge degeneration or diabetic lights and maintain your their brightness and (HID) and light-emitting retinopathy. position in your travel range. diode (LED) lamps have lane by monitoring A visit to your eye doctor been used in the headlights the lane marker or fog Adjust Your Lights! of new cars for over a is always a good idea line until the offending when encountering such ■ Use high beams when decade. These lamps are vehicle passes. appropriate. often brighter and emit problems. Here are some more blue light than the additional tips: Keep it Clean! ■ Ensure that headlights old, incandescent lamps. ■ Clean your windshield, are properly positioned, When aimed and aligned Look Away! outside and inside: aimed and aligned (may properly, they project ■ Never look directly at a dirty, streaked or require assistance of an farther in front of the car, an oncoming vehicle, fogged windshield can auto mechanic or service provide better illumination, regardless of the type of cause glare and reduce professional). and make colors of headlights it has. visibility. illuminated objects appear ■ Install and use fog lamps ■ If an oncoming vehicle’s more realistic. They are a ■ Replace windshield when appropriate; do not headlights seem too definite improvement for wipers, as necessary. use high beams in fog. bright, or if the driver the vehicle driver. does not dim his or her ■ Clean headlight ■ Turn off inside lights and However, many drivers who high beams, ease off coverings/lenses: turn down dashboard approach an oncoming the gas, try not to look dirt, snow or ice on lights to the minimum vehicle with the new directly at the car’s headlights can reduce level at which you can headlights often complain of glare and that the lights are too bright. Interestingly, studies have shown that disability glare, that is, glare that blocks an object from your view, is not significantly worse with the new headlights. But discomfort glare–which is annoying but does not block your view of an object–is increased. In addition, it could appear worse if you have dry eye, any cataracts, complications of contact lens wear, or other eye conditions that reduce night vision, such as age-related macular aoa.org see them; this reduces this can be assessed or wear contact Visit Your Eye Doctor! glare from lights that by your eye doctor lenses, instill a drop of ■ Some patients require you are not looking at and improved by lubricating eye drops different eyeglasses or toward. eating lutein and before starting to drive. for driving at night zeaxanthin-rich foods compared to daylight. such as kale, collard Slow Down! greens and spinach, Be Considerate of ■ Patients who have ■ Stopping distance or via appropriate Others! recently had laser increases with vehicle supplementation. ■ Dim your high beams refractive surgery can speed and poor weather when there are experience glare and conditions, such as rain, oncoming vehicles or halos for some time Remember to Blink! snow or ice; drive only if you are behind a after the surgery. ■ Increased concentration as fast as you are able vehicle. to bring your vehicle to can reduce blink rate, ■ Symptoms of glare, a complete stop within which can cause or ■ Ensure that headlights halos and reduced the distance illuminated exacerbate dry eye are properly positioned, ability to see low- by your headlights and symptoms, especially aimed and aligned. contrast or dimly lit based on conditions of when wearing contact objects can indicate ■ Use only replacement the road surface. lenses. the presence of early headlamps and auxiliary cataracts, complications ■ Aim dashboard air Keep it Clear! lights approved by the of contact lens wear, or vents away from the ■ Prescription eyeglass vehicle manufacturer other eye conditions: face and eyes to avoid lenses should have for your car; certain time for an eye exam! excessive drying of the anti-reflection coating after-market lights may eyes. in order to minimize even be illegal in some states. reflections from ■ If you know you have dashboard lights, street dry eye symptoms lights and lights from other vehicles. ■ Do not wear sunglasses, yellow, amber or other colored lenses: the environment can seem brighter, but all tinted lenses actually block light, potentially causing difficulty identifying traffic signals and signs and seeing low-contrast or dimly lit people and objects. ■ Increase the eyes’ protective macular pigment to improve visual performance; FS 09/17 243 N. Lindbergh Blvd. | St. Louis, MO 63141 | 800.365.2219 | aoa.org.
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