Drivers have been issued a warning that while sunglasses might prevent the sun from blinding you, they could land you in some trouble with the law. Drivers must slow down or stop when affected by sunlight, with a fine up to £5,000 serving as a deterrent, according to the Highway Code.
Due to the fact that some sunglasses can cause glare when driving, experts have issued a warning that sunglasses could in fact be making drivers less safe on the roads, The Mirror reports.
The warning clearly struck home for plenty of Brits, with the UK Google search for “What are polarised sunglasses?” hiking by 200%.
The answer is that they are designed to minimise glare from reflecting light.
Penalties ranging from points on your license, an unlimited fine, and even potential disqualifications could be handed down for using tinted glasses, lenses and visors at night or in poor visibility if they restrict your vision.
Nimmi Mistry, Vision Direct optician advises people to “consider the type of tint in their sunglasses”.
Sunglass tints can be fixed, meaning the tint doesn’t change when exposed to UV rays, or variable, meaning it does change. Some sunglasses allow you to manually change the level of tint via touch controls on the side of the frame.
She says: “Choose brown or grey tints for your sunglasses, and this ensures that your perception of colour isn’t distorted while helping protect your eyes from potentially harmful UV rays and distracting glare.”
Jas Thiara of Alsters Kelley solicitors says in the UK it is a legal requirement for sunglasses to be labelled and display their filter category number.
She says it is “recommended to use filter category two for daytime driving but is not suitable for night driving”.
Denton Brock, the head of Your Red Car, says “keeping up with the Highway Code to avoid fines and penalties is essential.”
“Always take extra caution when purchasing a new pair of sunglasses, and make sure any accessories in your vehicle are law-abiding.”
