Winter driving poses unique challenges. Shorter daylight hours, glare from wet roads, and dazzling snow reflections can all significantly reduce visibility on the road. While we can’t control the weather, we can make sure your glasses are winter-ready. Here’s how.
The Power of Anti-Reflective Coatings
The most impactful upgrade you can make to your glasses is adding an anti-reflective (AR) coating. This multi-layer treatment minimises reflections on both the front and back surfaces of your lenses, allowing more light to pass through. Without it, light bounces off the lens surfaces, causing glare that can lead to visual discomfort, particularly in low-light conditions.
How AR Coatings Help During Winter
Reducing Glare from Wet Roads
Wet and icy roads reflect light from streetlights, headlights, and the sun, creating a dazzling effect that hinders visibility. AR coatings reduce this glare, ensuring a clearer, safer view of the road.
Improving Night Vision
Winter’s longer nights mean more driving in the dark. AR coatings reduce halos around lights, enhance contrast, and improve visibility of pedestrians, signs, and road markings.
Easing Eye Strain in Snowy Conditions
Snow reflects sunlight, acting like a giant mirror. AR coatings minimise this effect, reducing squinting and helping your eyes stay relaxed and focused.
Enhancing Peripheral Awareness
Internal reflections on uncoated lenses can distract your vision. AR coatings eliminate these, ensuring a clear field of view for scanning hazards like black ice or wildlife.
Invest in a Driving-Specific AR Coating
Many lens manufacturers now offer driving-specific AR coatings. These target the specific wavelengths emitted by modern headlights, dramatically reducing glare from artificial light sources for a safer and more comfortable driving experience.
Why Sunglasses Are Essential in Winter
It’s a common misconception that sunglasses are only for summer. In fact, they’re vital year-round, especially in winter when the sun is lower.
UV Protection
The sun’s UV rays are just as strong in winter, even on cloudy days. Prolonged exposure can harm your eyes, increasing the risk of cataracts, macular degeneration, and photokeratitis (eye sunburn).
Snow Reflection
Snow reflects up to 80% of UV rays, effectively doubling your exposure. This makes outdoor activities like skiing or even walking on a snowy day more hazardous for your eyes.
Low Winter Sun
The sun sits lower in the sky during winter, creating more glare. Polarised sunglasses reduce glare, improving visibility and safety during outdoor activities or driving.
Wind and Dry Air Protection
Cold winds and dry air can irritate and dry out your eyes. Sunglasses act as a barrier, protecting your eyes and retaining moisture.
Polarised Lenses: A Winter Must-Have
Polarised lenses are an excellent choice for winter sunglasses. They reduce glare and improve clarity, making outdoor activities and driving safer and more comfortable.
How Polarised Lenses Work
Light normally scatters in all directions, but when it reflects off flat surfaces like snow, ice, or water, it becomes horizontally polarised, creating glare. Polarised lenses have a special filter that blocks these horizontal waves while letting vertical light through.
Benefits During Winter
Snow Glare Reduction
Snow’s high reflectivity can cause intense glare. Polarised lenses block the horizontal light waves responsible, offering clearer, more comfortable vision.
Improved Safety on Icy Roads
Ice and wet roads reflect sunlight, making them difficult to navigate. Polarised lenses minimise this reflection, enhancing visibility for safer travel.
Better Contrast and Depth Perception
Winter’s low sun and overcast skies can create flat light, making it hard to see contours in snow or ice. Polarised lenses improve contrast, making outdoor activities more enjoyable and safer.
The Bottom Line
Winter driving comes with its challenges, but the right eyewear can make a big difference. Consider upgrading your glasses with AR coatings and investing in polarised sunglasses to enhance your vision and safety this season. Stay prepared, stay protected, and enjoy winter to the fullest!
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