Speaking of Tinted Sunglasses...

     After posting on the dangers of blue light, I realized that I had a pair of shooter’s glasses in my car that were rarely used. Many shooters prefer lenses that are yellow or orange because lenses in these colors block haze and blue light and usually enhance the contrast between the target and its background. 
     I bought them for night driving because they were supposed to enhance night vision and cut down on glare, but for me there wasn’t a noticeable difference so I never wore them. In fact, that’s the way they were advertised.
     As it turns out, it’s a common misconception that yellow tinted or yellow polarized night driving glasses are beneficial for night time driving. The thought is, the yellow or amber color reduces glare and improves contrast. 
     Studies have shown that they actually impair visual performance and retard glare recovery. The fact is that when driving at night or dusk in already limited lighting conditions, any tint reduces the amount of light entering the eye and further impairs vision, especially on darker portions of the roadway. 

     It' claimed the yellow tint gives the wearer the impression they are seeing better, when in fact they aren’t. Additionally, yellow tinted lenses are not effective against headlight glare and should not be worn at dusk or night. 
     If glare from headlights is a problem, the first step should be a thorough eye examination, as this could be an early indication of cataracts or other medical conditions. 
     Many advertisers, As Seen On TV ads for example, promote unfounded claims for the ability of amber to improve night vision. The Federal Trade Commission has correctly ruled that such practices are illegal since the lenses do not perform as claimed. The best option for night time driving is a pair of glasses with clear lenses and an anti-reflective coating. 
     The coating is beneficial in two ways. First, it minimizes internal reflections within the lenses, reducing halo problems, and second, it increases the transmittance of light through the lens to the eye. If a person does not normally wear glasses, coated lenses, or any other type of night driving glasses will not improve night vision. That’s because anti-glare coating only minimize aberrations that are inherent in lenses and night driving glasses will simply serve to introduce those aberrations to the wearer's vision. In fact, some claim that responsible dispensers of ophthalmic lenses should discourage the use of tinted, polarized, or photochromic lenses in night time or dusk driving conditions and not participate in the marketing of so-called night driving glasses by irresponsible manufacturers. 

     Let’s discount Chromotherapy, commonly known as Color Therapy, which is a technique that employs the use of color in assisting the body in healing. The belief that color is useful in treating ailments has existed for nearly 1000 years. The belief is that your body “feeds” on certain colors within the natural spectrum of light, affecting your emotions. See more HERE. 
     The glasses yellow tinted glasses are not a total waste however. Yellow lenses can be effective for foggy or hazy daylight conditions. This morning is was quite foggy and I checked them out and was quite surprised to see the difference the yellow lenses made. Even with the fog, the contrast was enhanced and making out details was much easier. 
     Avid hunters or target shooters know that shooting glasses are an absolute necessity. Aside from offering eye protection, different safety glasses lens colors enhance vision in various lighting conditions, helping them to see with more clarity and depth perception. 

Yellow/Orange Lenses: Yellow and orange tinted safety glasses tend to block out “blue light,” such as the diffused haze on a cloudy day, but bring out the orange color of a practice target. These colors tend to create a more detailed line of vision, helping shooters to better perceive depth, and thus improve accuracy.
Amber Lenses: Amber lenses are a very popular lens color. They also block blue-light and work best in low light, cloudy days. The amber tint creates an excellent contrast between colors, helping the orange of the target stand out.
Purple/Blue Lenses: These are good when at a range where there is a backdrop of trees because these colors contribute to improving contrast, particularly against greens (trees/grass) and oranges (the target). 
Brown Lenses: Some hunters and target shooters prefer brown lenses, as they call attention to orange colored targets. They work best in fields or other open areas, and particularly in bright sunlight. Many hunters find brown lenses are “soothing” and reduce eye strain, which helps keep them alert. 
Gray Lenses: Gray is the “all around” color. Gray lenses reduce the amount of light around you, allowing you to see a balanced tone of color. It’s ideal for bright conditions and helps you get a level sense of contrast and depth.