Sunglasses might protect you from the blinding sun when you’re cruising in your car - but they may not protect you from breaking the law.
According to the Highway Code, drivers must slow down - or stop if they need to do so - when dazzled by sunlight - anyone failing to do so could be fined up to £5,000.
Some sunglasses can cause glare when driving, and so experts warn that your sunglasses may not be keeping you safer on the roads after all.
The number of Brits searching for “What are polarised sunglasses?” surged by 200 per cent on UK Google. Polarised sunglasses are designed to minimise glare from reflecting light.
Using tinted glasses, lenses and visors at night or in poor visibility is also prohibited if they restrict your vision, with penalties ranging from points on your license, an unlimited fine, and even potential disqualification.
Vision Direct optician Nimmi Mistry 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 2 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.”
