Riding a motorcycle during the daytime may be straightforward due to enough light availability that helps to spot obstacles easily. But when it comes to night, the rider requires more focus and an alert mind because of less visibility. Sometimes it will be harder to focus on the road for insufficient light. Without proper visibility, riding a motorcycle in the dark may lead to severe injuries.
Thankfully, night driving glasses come with several features that make it easy to ride a motorcycle even in the dark conditions. These glasses are specially designed to reduce night-time riding risks and help focus for longer durations at night. However, some people are wondering whether night-driving glasses really work. For that, in this context, we have provided a complete overview of night driving glasses.
Most riders have a big misconception that night-driving glasses do not work. Typically, anti-reflection and polarized glasses designed with a yellow tint are quite helpful for nighttime riding. This is because it reduces glare and enables you to see the road and other vehicles clearly.
Besides, some yellow glasses block the blue light, which causes eye strain on the rider. For that, the rider will feel less stressed when bright oncoming lights hit the eyes. During overcast or cloudy weather, these glasses intensify the contrast against the sky, allowing you to ride your motorcycle safely.
Additionally, elements like dust and dirt may suddenly get into your eyes, making you feel uncomfortable riding. In that case, wearing the best motorcycle glasses for night riding will protect your eyes against these elements. This way you can ensure both eye protection and clear visuals.
What Are Night Driving Glasses Actually?
Non-prescription night driving glasses feature yellow-tinted lenses with an anti-reflective coating. These help to decrease the distracting effect of the glare from oncoming traffic. Night driving glasses can be comparable with glasses designed for hunting.
These glasses mainly enable the rider to get a clear view of the road and other vehicles. The good thing is night driving glasses are suitable for both glasses wearers and non-glasses wearers. They work by adding color to the bright white, which is also known to add contrast, making the rider easier to see. Riders who have eye problems can replace their prescribed glasses with driving glasses by consulting with a doctor.
Advantages Of Wearing Night Driving Glasses
You will notice a tremendous difference when riding a motorcycle while wearing night-driving glasses. It will make your riding more enjoyable and safe even though riding in the dark. Here we have pointed out some benefits of wearing night driving glasses.
- Wearing the right night driving glasses will help you make everything brighter and easier to see when driving in dark or overcast conditions.
- While riding a motorcycle in the night-time, it is important to reduce eyestrain. In that instance, the glare from oncoming headlights or other distracting light sources will be reduced by this glass.
- Apart from reducing glare, night driving glasses help to reduce blue light and UV rays. These can cause substantial eyesight damage over time.
- These glasses offer great protection against entering dirt, dust, and any other small particles into the rider's eyes.
- Night driving glasses come in different varieties of styles and colors. So, you can choose a pair of glasses which fits your tastes.
Who Should Wear Night Driving Glasses?
Humans don’t see well in the dark. In fact, around 32% of riders report poor night vision, which makes them unable to see the road properly at night. Below we have demonstrated some significant causes of wearing night driving glasses.
Nyctalopia
Nyctalopia is also known as the condition of night blindness. Those who suffer from this problem aren't completely blind at night, but they have difficulty seeing when the light is low. Sometimes Nyctalopia is a sign of different medical conditions that need proper treatment.
Myopia
Those who suffer from myopia, also known as nearsightedness, have problems seeing distant things. This also causes difficulty to see in night or low-light conditions. This type of nearsightedness is not seen during the daytime.
Glaucoma
Riders who have glaucoma problems will face difficulty seeing at night.
Typically, it reduces the peripheral vision of the rider's eyes and makes them unable to see the proper view. The leading cause of glaucoma is fluid buildup in the eye that harms the optic nerve.
Deficiency of vitamin A
Lack of vitamin A can cause blindness that makes the ride not get the proper road view at night.
Those who have this issue may have problems seeing at night and in low light. The good thing is you can reverse this symptom by taking vitamin-rich food.
Retinitis pigmentosa
It is a rare genetic disorder that reduces the rider’s night and peripheral vision. This is because retinitis pigmentosa damages retinal cells. As the retina cells are sensitive to light, it lets the rider see at night.
Different Lens Colors for Night Driving Glasses
Night driving glasses are designed with several lens colors, and each of them works separately in different conditions. Here we have discussed some common lens colors you will find in motorcycle driving glasses.
Amber, Orange, Copper Lens
Amber, Orange, and Copper lenses work almost similarly. These lens colors help to increase contrast by reducing blue light. They also enhance contrast and brightness as well.
Brown Lens
Brown lenses usually reduce glare so that you can ride a motorcycle without any eye interruption. This lens also helps to provide excellent contrast that reduces the rider's eye strain.
Green Lens
Night driving glasses with green lenses are generally used to improve the contrast with extremely low light conditions. This lens is very popular for its greatest visual detailing.
Gray Lens
Gray lens-equipped driving glasses are widely used for their neutral shade. This type of lens minimizes color distortion and also reduces glare so that you can see naturally.
What To Consider When Choosing Night Driving Glasses
Not all driving glasses offer the same features, so you should choose one that will meet your needs. Choosing an effective and comfortable driving glass should be your prime consideration. Below we have exemplified some factors to consider while choosing night driving glasses.
Lenses
The lens is the most crucial part of a driving glass that brings your view into focus. The polarized lens helps to lessen glare from reflected surfaces, headlights, and harsh blue light, while polycarbonate lenses are impact resistant.
Besides, a protective coating lens helps to lower eye strain from reflections and glare.
Flexible Arms
The arms of the glasses should wrap around your eyes to hold them in place. So you have to ensure your chosen driving glass fits comfortably without constantly adjusting. The standard arm length of driving glasses is between 120 mm to 150 mm, while most commons are 135 mm, 140 mm, 145 mm, and 150 mm. You should also consider your helmet size, ensuring that the arms can fit comfortably between your head and the helmet. There are different types of motorcycle helmets recommended for each state, so make sure you're compliant too.
Nose Pads
Secure nose pads are very important to wearing driving glasses comfortably. The pads should be soft, not rough and uncomfortable. Plastic pads may cause pressure on your nose, leading to headaches and bruises on your skin. On the other hand, silicone and rubber pads are soft, breathable, and tender.
Polarized
Your chosen glass should be polarized as the prime reason for wearing night riding glasses for better views. This is because glares need to be reduced to focus properly while riding. So, this crucial feature should not be neglected.
UV Protection
Although the UV protection feature helps from the sun’s UV rays, it will be hardly helpful for nighttime riding. So it is your choice whether you have this feature or not. This is because UV protection isn’t so crucial for night riding.
Wind Protection
While riding a motorcycle, it is essential to protect the rider’s eyes from dust, wind, and pollution. A good pair of driving glasses provides the rider with extreme eye protection from these elements. This is very helpful to feel undisturbed while riding a motorcycle, especially if you use an open-face helmet.
Conclusion
Wearing the night driving glass will ensure that you get a proper view of the road while riding a motorcycle. Typically, riding a motorcycle at night will be challenging without wearing driving glasses. There are several reasons behind this, such as glare from different sources, strong wind, and dust particles.
In that case, driving glass will work effectively to ensure smooth bike riding during the night. However, check out the section above if you find any difficulty choosing the right night driving glasses. Here we have explained what you should consider while choosing a pair of driving glasses.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Aleksandra Djurdjevic
Senior Content Creator
Aleksandra Djurdjevic is a senior writer and editor, covering motorcycle adventures, biker tips and tricks and general exploring on two wheels. She has previously worked as ESL teacher for English Tochka. Aleksandra graduated from the Comparative Literature department at the Faculty of Philosophy in Serbia. Aleksandra’s love for the biking and adventure, getting out on the open road, year after year across the planet helps her continue to be a top expert at RMJ.
