Trouble Driving at Night?

Why is night driving so difficult for so many people? One obvious answer is darkness. Since your ability to perceive and judge distance is severely impaired at night – the human eye requires light to see – night driving can be quite challenging. An estimated 90 % of all driver decisions are made based on what they see.

While your eyes are capable of seeing in dim light, the combination of headlights and road lights, with the darkness beyond them, can cause several problems for your vision. Driving at dawn or dusk can also be very dangerous because, while the sky is still well lit, the roads begin to get dark. This causes a disparity between light and dark and can cause vision problems for drivers.

Your ability to see in decreased light also depends the health and visual acuity of your eyes. Drivers with cataracts or dry eyes can experience glare or haloes around lights. Addressing such conditions as dry eyes by using artificial tears or taking care of cataracts can greatly improve your ability to see more comfortably at night. There are also special lenses that have an anti-reflective coating that can help decrease glare if it is an issue.

If you experience difficulty with night driving or have any questions or concerns about your eye health, contact us at Shanbom Eye Specialist.