Four out of five anti-dazzle night-time driving glasses do not significantly reduce headlight glare and fail to make driving in the dark any less stressful, suggests new research.
In a recent study by the RAC, drivers reported headlight dazzle getting worse, with a quarter (25%) driving less at night or not at all.
To carry on driving in the dark, many drivers may be tempted to try anti-dazzle glasses with yellow lenses or other anti-glare coatings.
However, new tests conducted by What Car? magazine suggest many anti-dazzle glasses fail to improve night-time vision.
The magazine bought six pairs of anti-dazzle glasses and tried each pair out at night on a 12-mile test route that included lit and unlit urban and rural roads.
They included clip-on glasses and pairs that can be worn alone, with and without a prescription, or on top of prescription driving glasses.
Five pairs had yellow coatings on the lenses, and the sixth had a combination of polarisation and photochromic technology.
As well as using their own judgement to assess the effectiveness of each pair of glasses, the tester wore a heart rate monitor to show if there was a difference in stress levels during each lap.
Five out of the six pairs of anti-dazzle driving glasses tested by What Car? did not provide any meaningful reduction in glare or significantly increase confidence during night-time driving.
Only the TJUTR flip-up clip-on glass lenses gave a noticeable reduction in the brightness of oncoming headlights and provided good visibility on poorly lit sections of road.
“Our research shows that while you can gain small benefits from wearing some anti-glare glasses, others offer no improvement in vision and some actually make the situation worse”, said What Car? consumer editor Claire Evans. “If you’re finding night-time driving difficult, the best course of action is to make sure you have regular eye tests and opt for anti-reflective lenses if you have prescription driving glasses.”
