Night-time yellow driving spectacles

[aamaci]

I'm taking delivery of a new pair of spectacles which come with a set of "clip on" yellow night-time driving lenses. Do these things actually work? It seems to me to be a bit crazy adding a layer of colour to already low-level light conditions.

Thanks

A

[Christian]

I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything that reduces light transmission recommended for night driving so I think you are correct.

[aamaci]

Thanks for your response Christian. My view too, but then they have been around for a number of years now, and have often been "promoted", so I wondered if I was missing something...

A

[Kingstepper]

Of course they work but you'll need to uprate headlamp bulbs to compensate.

[Boss13]

I believe they are to reduce glare?
They shouldn’t actually make everything look yellow I believe. But I could be wrong.

[wileeeeeey]

I think they’re to help with conditions like fog?

[DavidL]

There is no clinical evidence to show they are in anyway beneficial to your vision at night. As you say they are a tint. Tints reduce the amount of light reaching your retinas - yellow ones will be maybe 15-20% absorption. What's the last thing you want at night? Have less light.
What they do is reduce the apparent difference between a pitch black background and bright headlights, but by dimming both. Now that's fine if the contrast is not that dramatic - so city scapes at night. Plenty of background light so a little less isn't that much of an issue but if it is unlit then you just might dim the surroundings sufficiently to miss the darkly lit person stepping off the curb in front of you. The problem is you don't realise what you are missing (or not) until maybe it's too late.
I won't sell them but do get asked occasionally.

[Chris_in_the_UK]

I think they’re to help with conditions like fog?

They are b@llocks, seriously.

[ralphy]

I wear a pair of amber lenses on foggy or overcast days, as i find that they improve depth and contrast.

R

[higham5]

I think they’re to help with conditions like fog?

That could make sense , since if they reduce glare, the main problem in fog is your own lights bouncing back at you as glare, hence fog lights theoretically peeping under the fog.

[manganr]

I wear them all the time on the motorbike. They work for me to reduce glare but mostly they make every ride look sunny!

[Martylaa]

I use them in the winter to reduce glare, they work for me.

[blackal]

I expected them to increase contrast, but a quick google suggests that no-one recommends them.

[Chris_in_the_UK]

I expected them to increase contrast, but a quick google suggests that no-one recommends them.

https://www.eyewear-accessories.co.u...-tinted-lenses

[ralphy]

I wear them all the time on the motorbike. They work for me to reduce glare but mostly they make every ride look sunny!

There is that, the scenery does look rather duller when you initially take them off!

R

[andyb28]

My wife has astigmatism which makes lights at night flare.
For many years, she assumed everyone saw lights in the same way.

These glasses really help with this.
However, she doesn't really choose to drive at night anymore. It will generally be me.

[Kingstepper]

I expected them to increase contrast, but a quick google suggests that no-one recommends them.

How would you expect them to increase contrast? They just dim everything.

As for ‘glare’ - wear glasses with good AR coating.

[ralphy]

A coloured filter can be used to enhance a colour, which in turn effects the contrast of one colour to another.
This I know from photography and particularly so from underwater photography. As I understand it, contrast by yellow lenses is enhanced by the selective reduction of short-wavelength light which in turn produces a perceived brightness to the human eye.

R

[aa388]

I wear a pair of amber lenses on foggy or overcast days, as i find that they improve depth and contrast.

R

Years ago when I shot competitively I left a shoot wearing a pair of burnt orange tinted shooting glasses, it wasn’t till I got home with my passengers that they mentioned they thought I was a nutter driving the speed I did in the fog they had made so much difference, when my car got stolen they and a pair of Randolph engineering glasses were the only thing’s missing when the car was recovered.


Sent from my iPhone using TZ-UK mobile app

[pugster]

im another that wears them all the time on my motorbike , they improve contrast and stop glare (i wear them day+night on the bike)

* im talking about polychromatic glasses with yellow lens

[aamaci]

Thank you all for your input. An interesting division of views. As the specs come with the yellow clip-ons (actually magnetic) free, I'll give them a go when they arrive, however at this moment I remain in the "sceptical" camp.

A

[Halitosis]

I had laser eye surgery 20 years ago which left me considerably more photo-sensitive - particularly oncoming headlights in twilight and at night-time.
I don't doubt the overall reduction of light getting through the lenses, but I can only say they absolutely work for me. I like the sound of Ralphy's explanation mind.

[sprite1275]

Definitely wear them. You'll look like Eugene tackleberry.

[ragerover]

Not sure about driving but I use them shooting
Helps pick out clays in poor light of dark background

Guess that’s the contrast

[ralphy]

I had laser eye surgery 20 years ago which left me considerably more photo-sensitive - particularly oncoming headlights in twilight and at night-time.
I don't doubt the overall reduction of light getting through the lenses, but I can only say they absolutely work for me. I like the sound of Ralphy's explanation mind.

I had laser eye surgery 16 years ago and the subsequent sensitivity to strong light was quite a shock, sunglasses were an absolute must for years afterwards. My optician recommended Maui Jim's and I've stayed with them since then, no other brand came close for colour enhancement, especially so for water-based activity.

R