Driving Polarized Sunglasses, Do They Help

I am dark-adapted, and a big fan of polarized sunglasses. In my opinion, they help a lot.

Plus, they make tempered glass look really neat.

 

Polarized lenses are made specially for cutting glare and reflections from glass, it works. A good quality brand is what you need, Rayban, Bolle, Oakley, etc. Make sure it is polarized.

 

Keep in mind that polarized glasses will interfere with viewing some electronic displays. Most Prius drivers using polarized glasses report that they can see the MFD okay but have some problems with the speedometer. You will have to make your own assessment. I gave up on polarized glasses when I started flying.

Tom

 

hadn't thought of that... the speedometer is reflected from the bottom, so, yes, polarizers will definitely cut on how much you can see it! Definitely not such a good idea on the Prius. Doh!

 

absolutely right. my polarized lenses make it very difficult to see speedo. mfd ok. if i cock my head a little to one side it helps just a little bit

 

Can't help with the brand, as I wear whatever cheap clip-ons I can find.

In strong sunlight, I don't find much difference between polarized and non-polarized lenses. They'll keep down some specular (sun-flash) reflections from windshields and back windows better than regular sunglasses, but that's about it.

Where I find them most helpful is daytime rain/fog conditions. They seem to filter out some portion of the light backscatter and produce sharper contrasts of solid objects against the grey/white rain/fog background. I always keep at least one pair in my car.

Add ATM displays and digital watches to the items that are hard to see from some angles with polarized lenses. But just tilt your head a bit to read the display, not a big deal.

 

I use polarized rayban's all the time when driving. It cuts the glare off the dash 100%. As for the speedo, I can barely see it in the daytime with the lights on, but if I turn the headlights off, I can see it clearly.

 

I wouldn't even know how...

 

I had a bad experience with Koala Beach sunglasses that made a whole car invisible. They were 100% UV block-out and I was driving on a country road, pulled out to pass a car and saw something moving on the road but it was unclear. I lifted my sunglasses to see a grey car coming toward me and had to brake and pull back into my lane to avoid a head on collision. I threw those sunglasses out the window. I since learnt you should only wear glasses rated for driving as some can make seeing differences between objects and backgrounds very hard due to the filters used.

 

I've had a pair of polarized Oakleys for a couple of years now. I love them. I have no problems seeing the speedometer with them (or anything else).

I have big problems with glare hurting my eyes so I often wear them when it's raining.

 

I have a pair of maui jim. Good quality and comfortable when I wear it. I have no problem seeing speedometer or MFD. The glasses filters out most of the reflection of the dashboard off the windshield.

The only time I have trouble looking at MFD is when the sun shines onto MFD directly. That's another story.

 

If I'm wearing my contacts, I use Revo's. These are *great* sunglasses! Revo makes a variety of shades, they warn you not to use the ones designed for skiing as they can make some cars turn Stealth on the road, as what happened to Pat

My model of Revo are the darkest recommended by Revo for driving. While wearing them, the speedo is invisible, also the clock

When I'm wearing my glasses, I slip on a pair of Cocoons. Not as clear as the Revo's. The Cocoons also make the the speedo and clock disappear

 

I use Ray Ban Polarized Sunglasses. The model number RB4075. I have no issues seeing the speedometer. I do have issues seeing the ATM screen at the bank. Some of the point of sale units are difficult to see also. The windows of vehicles look funny, too. They look like they have polka dots. I asked someone to explain the reason for this, and he said it is because polarized lenses block vertical reflection, and the tempered glass reflects glass horizontally. Or something like that.

I highly suggest Polarized lenses if you are around water, snow, or the desert. Aside from that, just get a quality pair of sunglasses and you will be fine. Take good care of the lenses and clean them often. By the way, don't confuse price with quality. Just because a pair of Gucci's are $450 doesn't mean they have a quality lens.

CAUTION: buying a $10.99 pair from the liquor store is worse for your eyes than having no sunglasses at all. Many of these cheapos have no UV protection. They make your pupils open up allowing more of the damaging rays into your eyes. The lenses are low quality making your eyes strain to see. They also scratch easily.

Here is what I wear as my primary pair.

 

That's why polarized glasses can be bad for flying. In addition to the problem with electronic displays, some models can kill your depth perception from the air.

Tom

 

I second Maui Jims. I have a prescription pair which were quite expensive and think they are worth every penny. Costco sells a small selection of nonprescription ones in the $100.+ range.