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Driving + Mobility

The lenses for more relaxed driving

How ZEISS lenses can make driving less stressful and safer.
11 April 2022
  • The lenses for more relaxed driving

Driving – many people absolutely love it, but for most of us, it is a necessity that provides us with a high degree of independence. However, studies have shown that many people feel insecure, tense and stressed when driving – particularly in poor visibility: in the rain, in foggy or misty conditions, and at dawn or dusk. When driving, good visibility is an absolute must for safety and accident prevention. If visibility is poor, we get tired more quickly and react more slowly. But what do drivers really need to provide them with good vision? What requirements do driving spectacles need to meet these days? ZEISS has examined this subject in great detail.

Just how important is good vision for driving? When can vision problems occur?

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1. Vision problems may be encountered in bad weather, at dawn or dusk and at night.

This is sometimes described as "night blindness," a condition that compels many people to simply avoid driving in poor light or at night. The reason for this is that driving in the dark, twilight or in poor light conditions, e.g. rain, fog or snow, makes totally different demands on our eyes. Our pupils are dilated, resulting in less focused vision than with contracted pupils in daylight. One typical consequence of this is that drivers are less able to judge distances, making them feel insecure and stressed.

This means that we need lenses for driving which help us to better assess distances in poor light.

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2. Vision problems caused by glare

In traffic, many people find the glare caused by the headlights of approaching vehicles, streetlights or reflections extremely irritating. This is particularly the case when driving in twilight or at night when the pupils of our eyes are dilated. Market research and scientific evidence both indicate that perceived glare in traffic is linked to modern car lighting technology, and in particular to LED and Xenon HID light sources. This makes it all the more important to have the appropriate glare protection in order to make driving more comfortable and safer. ZEISS has examined how drivers react to various types of glare and how lens coatings could remedy their problems.

3. Vision problems due to fast, frequent eye movement

3. Vision problems due to fast, frequent eye movement

Measurements conducted by the FKFS1 Institute on behalf of ZEISS showed that we look into the distance for an average of 97% of our overall driving time. A very high figure indeed! However, our eyes also have other tasks to perform: they have to move quickly and constantly from looking into the distance down to the dashboard or to the rear view or side mirrors. This is usually no problem for young drivers, but from the age of 35–40 onwards, our eyes are no longer able to adapt, or "accommodate" as the experts say, to different distances as quickly as they could in younger years. We require special lenses, e.g. progressives, to overcome this obstacle. For driving purposes, the intermediate and distance zones of progressive lenses must be particularly large to enable us to refocus quickly when our eyes move between the road ahead and the dashboard with minimal head movement. ZEISS has subjected the behaviour of our eyes when driving to a detailed analysis.1

One pair of spectacles for everything!

73% of wearers would like to have spectacles that provide them with optimum vision at night, but they also want to be able to wear them all day long!2

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Three wishes – one pair of spectacles: ZEISS DriveSafe Lenses

ZEISS has incorporated all of the above aspects in the new ZEISS DriveSafe Lenses to create all-day lenses that are suitable for all-day use by frequent drivers who until now have experienced considerable discomfort due to poor vision. And, of course, for anyone who simply wants to make driving a more enjoyable experience.

The solutions by ZEISS DriveSafe

  • Bright light = photopic vision with small pupil: Large depth of focus, relaxed space perception

    Bright light = photopic vision with small pupil: Large depth of focus, relaxed space perception
  • No light (darkness) = scotopic vision with large pupil: Small depth of focus

    No light (darkness) = scotopic vision with large pupil: Small depth of focus
  • Low light = mesopic vision with varying pupil size: Challenging conditions due to variation in depth of focus

    Low light = mesopic vision with varying pupil size: Challenging conditions due to variation in depth of focus

Solution 1: ZEISS Luminance Design™ Technology

ZEISS DriveSafe Lenses feature an optimised spectacle lens design that takes into account the size of our pupils in poor light. There is one design for single vision lenses, and one for progressives. The result: more relaxed and better vision when driving in poor light.

Reduced light-induced irritation such as dazzle and reflection

Reduced light-induced irritation such as dazzle and reflection

Solution 2: ZEISS DuraVision DriveSafe lens coating

In DriveSafe, ZEISS has used a special new coating to take into account the many different situations during driving when our visual system are confronted with glare. This offers the same hardness and cleaning properties as DuraVision®  Premium coatings, but features a different kind of anti-reflective coating. The  DuraVision® DriveSafe Coating  by ZEISS partially reflects wavelengths in the high-energy, visible portion of the blue light spectrum, including the band around the wavelength of 450 nm. DuraVision®  DriveSafe Coating by ZEISS therefore reduces discomfort glare by up to 64%2 compared to premium AR coatings.

  • With DuraVision DriveSafe 64% less test drivers reported issues with glare with the new coating than with other premium AR coatings.2

Up to 43% larger mid-distance zone for easier focus switching between dashboard and mirrors. And up to 14% larger far-distance vision zone for a wider view of the road.

Up to 43% larger2 mid-distance zone for easier focus switching between dashboard and mirrors. And up to 14% larger2 far-distance vision zone for a wider view of the road.

Solution 3: ZEISS DriveSafe lens design for progressives

ZEISS offers a special design to make driving with progressive lenses more comfortable and safer. The optimised vision zones make it easier for the eyes to refocus when moving between the road ahead and the dashboard and the rear view or side mirrors. Horizontal movements of the head are reduced. At the same time, the near zone is designed so that your spectacles can be worn all day long – also for reading.

In a nutshell: ZEISS DriveSafe Lenses are the ideal vision solution for all-day wear, not only for driving – whether you are at work, watching television or enjoying one of your hobbies.

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  • 1

    Source: FKFS Research Institute of Automotive Engineering and Vehicle Engines Stuttgart is an independent foundation associated with the University of Stuttgart. Founded in 1930, FKFS has became one of the largest and leading research institutes in the field of automotive engineering, serving major automobile manufacturers and suppliers.
  • 2

    Source: Internal wearer trial (CZV employees in Germany), external wearer trial (eye care professionals and consumers in Spain).