Autumn Eyecare: How to Stay Safe Driving at Night

As the nights start drawing in and the thermostat starts to drop, you might find that night-time driving starts to get trickier. Navigating the roads after dark comes with some challenges, thanks to lights and reflections obscuring our view of the road ahead. In this blog we’ll take a closer look at how reflections can impact our vision, and most importantly how you can overcome them, so you can feel confident and safe behind the wheel.

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One of the best ways to prepare your eyes for night-time driving is through an eye exam. Optometrists and opticians play a crucial role in assessing your eyes' health, identifying potential issues, and providing personalized solutions to address your individual visual needs. Prioritising regular eye check-ups might detect and address underlying problems, such as astigmatism, myopia, or cataracts, which all make night reflections while driving even more challenging.

That’s why we’re running an Autumn Promotion, with a Buy One Pair & Get a Second Pair Half Price offer on our lenses and frames.* Book an appointment below and take advantage of this promotion in-store before the nights close in.

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Top Tips for Driving at Night

When we drive at night, the road ahead comes alive with streetlights, headlights, and other artificial light sources. The glare and reflections coming off different surfaces often disturb our vision, affecting our ability to see the road clearly and react quickly to potential hazards.

The good news is, we’ve got plenty of tips and tricks for you to help make night-time driving a breeze. Here’s 8 ways you can tackle the impact of reflections while driving at night and improve your overall road safety:

Keep windshields and mirrors clean: regularly clean both the inside and outside of windshields and mirrors to reduce reflections and glare, so you always have a clear view of the road.
Use anti-reflective coatings: opt for glasses with anti-reflective (AR) coatings to minimize reflections on lenses, enhancing visibility and reducing night-time glare. You can also ask our opticians’ team about driving lenses such as EnRoute.
Adjust headlights properly: ensure headlights are correctly positioned to avoid causing excessive glare for oncoming drivers and to improve your own visibility.
Dim interior lights: lower the brightness of dashboard and interior lights to minimize reflections on the windshield, allowing you to focus better on the road.
Allow your eyes to adjust: when moving from well-lit areas to darker ones, give your eyes time to adjust. Don’t look at bright lights directly, as it can make it harder for your eyes to adapt to the darkness.
Avoid high beam use in urban areas: save your high beams for rural or poorly-lit areas. Using high beams in urban environments can cause excessive glare for other drivers and create reflections, making it more difficult for you to see clearly.
Follow at a safe distance: keep a safe distance from the vehicle ahead, especially if it has bright, reflective taillights. This allows you more time to react to sudden stops or obstacles without being distracted by reflections.
Stay focused and alert: night-time driving demands extra attention. Stay focused on the road and scan your surroundings so you have plenty of time to react.

Looking for more Autumn eyecare advice? Visit your nearest branch today, and a member of our team will be on hand to answer any questions you have.

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