We’re getting close to the shortest day now and the weather is turning cold and wintry. Winter driving is known to cause eye strain so here are my top tips to minimise the risk of accidents;
Have your eyes examined regularly to make sure that your prescription is up to date. Low light levels at night cause the pupil of the eye to become larger and this can accentuate any focusing errors and cause blurring. Similarly, older people may struggle more from glare if they are suffering from cataracts. A regular eye examination will highlight this and treatment will be recommended.
Make sure that your windscreen is clean inside and out as a dirty windscreen will accentuate the haloes and reflections around headlights and make eyes feel uncomfortable.
If you wear glasses, make sure that these are also clean as dirty glasses have the same effect as a dirty windscreen.
If you struggle with glare from an oncoming vehicle, slow down and concentrate on the nearside kerb until the car has passed.
Don’t use tinted lenses – reflection free lenses like Crizal Forte are recommended
Check that your car’s headlights are clean and are working properly
Many drivers admit that they find it harder to see clearly when driving after dark and it’s a fact that more road accidents happen at night than during the day. Common night driving problems can be minimised by using common sense and ensuring that your eye health is as good as it can be. If you still experience problems, give us a ring or pop in and see us at 857 Chesterfield Road, Woodseats on 0114 274 8582 or at 48 Sandygate Road, Crosspool on 0114 266 7066.
We’d love to read your winter driving tips too, so please reply to this post to comment
Best wishes and safe driving
Alex