Being able to see clearly whilst driving is one of the most important elements in driving safely; perhaps because of this, people wear sunglasses whilst driving more than they do during any other activity.

Whilst driving we often come across a variety of weather and light conditions, many of which can cause varying degrees of visibility problems and make driving far more difficult. General glare from the sun can cause eye fatigue which can affect your vision, whilst ice and snow bring their own form of reflected glare, particularly as the sun is lower in the sky during the colder months. Even in the interim months, poor road lighting and general low-light conditions can make driving markedly more dangerous.

In order to address this issue of light levels and visibility, many people go for sunglasses in order to protect their eyes from the sun and enjoy a far more predictable clarity of vision.

So what makes a good pair of sunglasses for driving?

The problem with most normal sunglasses, or designer sunglasses is that they’re unable to adapt to changing light conditions, meaning they have no change of optimising your vision. Most normal sunglasses would be ok for driving in bright sunglight, but will darken your vision considerably in lower light levels.

What you’re looking for ideally are sunglasses that contain specialised lenses which react to changing light levels. These are referred to as photochromatic sunglasses, or sometimes reactor light lenses and will prove far more beneficial in protecting your eyes whilst driving, whilst allowing you better clarity of vision.

Photochromatic lenses aren’t your only option however; many find them just that little bit too expensive and if this is the case for you, you can opt for polarised lenses instead. These will be extremely beneficial in reducing glare from the sun, particularly when reflected off wet or icy roads. Lots of designer (and non-designer) brands make glasses with polarised lenses, have a look at some of the Oakley sunglasses available for an excellent example.

Go into your local opticians and ask for some sunglasses designed for driving, they’ll have a wide variety available and as long as you opt for polarised or photochromatic lenses, you’ll have the right sunglasses for driving.