Driving at night a problem?
Have Zeiss found the answer?
A review by Peter Herniman FBDO

A very common complaint that I get in practice, especially at this time of year, is about glare and dazzle from car headlights. Anti-reflection coatings definitely help if you need spectacles; however I have found that this is not enough for a lot of people.

I have just come back from Berlin where Zeiss exclusively invited a selection of independent eye care practitioners from the UK and also from the rest of the world to the official launch of Zeiss’s new lens product called DriveSafe.

After 8 years practicing can I finally recommend a better solution to help people feel safer while driving in low light conditions?

DriveSafe- What is it?

“Probably one of the safest features in your car” Zeiss claim. This lens is designed as a general purpose lens but all importantly this lens is armed with extra driving safety features. The lens is available in both single vision and varifocal form and uses the latest Zeiss technology to harness the wearer’s natural driving visual behaviour. This behaviour has been mapped and researched rigorously by Zeiss’s research and development team. I had the pleasure of meeting a couple of the developers behind this new lens to find out the all-important features this lens has to offer. DriveSafe lenses help your eyes switch a lot more comfortably between the windscreen and the dashboard. Zeiss’ technology also cleverly focuses on pupil size and a new adapted coating to help with glare from headlights which has had impressive results.  Zeiss claims that DriveSafe lenses give up to 64% glare reduction compared to their other premium anti reflection coatings.

Put to the test

I have been trialling a pair of single vision DriveSafe lenses for over a month now, driving normally as well as on a test track in Berlin. These lenses won’t cut out glare completely from headlights; however I have found they do a good job reducing it, especially with oncoming LED headlights. The best thing I find with these lenses is they seem to work harmoniously together with your eyes helping you focus more on the road. The vision I have experienced in DriveSafe lenses is easy, clear and most importantly quick and works for all other aspects of my lifestyle too.

Zeiss have opened the flood gates for driving safety features in lenses which all of us, both eye care professionals and the general public, have been crying out for, and I am confident this is just the start. I have no doubt over time this technology will be tweaked and improved but right now Zeiss is back with a clear message on drive safety. I think I can even go as far as saying that these lenses could potentially save lives. That split second better reaction time or quicker recovery from glare could mean life or death. I believe this lens is a technological breakthrough and I shall be recommending a lot of these lenses in practice.

So when you next go for a long drive on holiday with the children, just think about what spectacles you are wearing and most importantly are they DriveSafe?

 

Peter Herniman FBDO Dispensing Optician, Pinders.

 

DriveSafe Lenses available now at all of our branches!

Want to be a “test driver” of Drivesafe lenses? 

www.zeiss.co.uk/drivesafe for more info, or book an appointment to see our Dispensing Opticians.