Any experience with Drivewear lenses?

I was just surfing around the web and I came across a lense called
"drivewear". They're polarized transition lenses that darken in the car
and really supposed to cut down on the glare. As I am very susceptable
to glare while driving (and I have fetal cataracts), these sound like
they might be good deal for me.

I'm really surprised I haven't heard of these before. Anybody here have
any experience with them?

 

The Drivewear website says it uses Transitions lenses that darken to visible
light. I thought that was great, but on the Transitions website it says it
lenses darken only to UV light.

I would love glasses that darken in the car, but am now rather skeptical.
Can you tell me what is going on here?

 

Yes, UV is what causes the lens to darken. It doesn't work that well inside
a car as the windows are filtering UV to some degree. Also, these lenses
don't become completely tint free in low light situations in my experience
so they're not the greatest for night driving either.

 

I wasted $$$$ on those transition lenses in the past. They don't get dark
enough in the car unless you drive a convertible.

 

I'm a little curious about your response. I'm over 50 now, and my
"fetal" cataracts didn't noticably start affecting my sight until about
6 years ago. According to my eye doc, that's because the normal aging
of my lenses has started. If I understand this correctly, it means
there's some yellowing going on that compounds what I was born with.

Now you suggest that a yellow tint in my specs might help with my night
vision. I'm definitely going to do some tests with this, but I'm trying
to get my hands around why this might help. I'm not saying that I doubt
what you say, I'm just curious about why this is.

I'm also curious about using brown for sunglasses. All my adult life
I've used grey lenses, because I'd read that they're supposed to be the
best for color representation. I've never considered brown lenses, but
if you're right they might work better for me than I'm game to try
them.

By the way, my doc said that she doesn't think I'll need to have may
cataracts "taken care of" for at least another 5-10 years. I'd really
like to find a low tech solution that will make seeing more comfortable
for me until I get my natural lenses replaced.

 

Wiz wrote:

That and your pupils might be getting smaller.

Some people claim better contrast sensitivity with a yellow tint. I'm
skeptical of this except under conditions where there's a lot of blue
light coming in and distracting you, which is blocked by the yellow.

Same idea. yellow/orange/brown tend to block blue. They do indeed alter
color perception.

If you are hyperopic, sooner is better than later. If myopic, ok wait a
while due to risk of retinal detachment, a risk pretty much nonexistent
in hyperopes. I'm skeptical of a doc who prodicts that far out. Is she
an HMO doc?

w.stacy, o.d.

 

Most people assume I'm younger because I don't act my age .

I understand that fetal cataracts don't change with age, but my doc's
assertion is that the normal aging of my lenses amplified the problem
and made me notice it more. Also, my vision was fine uncorrected until
I hit my 30s.

I'm going to see if I can find a yellow report cover, or maybe even
cheap yellow clipons and do some experimenting.

 

I live in New York state now -- but I grew up in Texas.

Driving directly into a low sun, an hour or so from setting into
the surface of the highway(!), as I recall, was really *REALLY* painful.

Now, I forget whether for sure polarized glasses helped (more
than non-polarized sunglasses) reduced the reflection, but I
think they did.

(Or maybe it was when the sun was off to the side, at an angle, eg
30 degrees -- I forget the physics).


(However, FOR SURE it made clouds stand out in the sky -- that
scattering (that *caused* the blue in the sky?) was very
susceptible to polarized lenses!)

David