Glare, visibility in low light conditions and switching between near and distant objects are some of the major concerns surrounding night driving.
A recent report suggested nearly a third of drivers refuse to drive at night because of the associated visual stress and discomfort. Carl Zeiss’s DriveSafe lens is aimed directly at those issues.
Optician’s editor recently took part in a 24-hour cycle challenge which provided the ideal opportunity to try DriveSafe’s anti-glare performance. The lens variant on test was a progressive photofusion version of DriveSafe with a silver mirror coating.
The first thing that stands out about DriveSafe in daylight is its clarity and lack of internal reflections. The photochromic variant on test provided clear vision in all light conditions with no hint of a tint at night. The absence of reflections was impressive even when the lens was darkened by sunlight.
The test conditions during the cycle event were very harsh with bright bike lights contrasted against the totally unlit race course. Even in the small hours when tiredness set in the visual comfort was faultless.
Behind the wheel of a car the progressive design and coating continued to work well taking the edge off all but the very brightest gas discharge headlights. Visual comfort is further enhanced by DriveSafe’s performance in suppressing internal and back surface reflections.
This is a high performance end lens and well worth suggesting to drivers who are worried about night time glare and reflections when driving.