Sponsored by ZEISS

Fig. 1 ZEISS DriveSafe

By Preston Fassel

Reading glasses. Computer glasses. Sunglasses. In our everyday life, we’re accustomed to adopting different pairs of glasses for different purpose-driven wear, to ensure that our work, leisure and outdoor time are as efficient, safe and enjoyable as possible. Yet, there’s one facet of life that most of us will never consider having a specific pair of lenses for—and it’s perhaps one of the most important things we do every day, more important than sitting back with a good book and more physically risky than spiking a volleyball on the court.

Driving glasses.

Though most of us take it for granted, driving is one of the most complex and potentially dangerous tasks the average person engages in every day. Traveling at over 60 miles per hour in a steel cannister while relying on the skill and awareness of countless other drivers around us, we make split-second decisions about changing lanes, braking, signaling and accelerating, engaging in a sort of automotive ballet, with much of it relying on clear, unimpeded vision of the road and the cars around us. Indeed, a recent survey found that in 2017, nearly 2,000 road accidents in Great Britain were the result of not careless, distracted or impaired driving, but rather external factors affecting vision including rain, sleet, snow and dazzling headlights. Further, while 83 percent of eyeglass wearers use their corrective lenses for driving, 72 percent of them wished that there was a special lens purpose made for use behind the wheel.

Enter ZEISS DriveSafe.

ZEISS DriveSafe is the lens specially engineered to ensure the safest, most visually unimpaired driving experience while also providing wearers crystal clear vision once they step out from behind the wheel. Multiple factors go into this unique lens tech: ZEISS Luminance Design™ Technology (LDT), which takes into account different light conditions and pupil sizes for natural vision at all times and provides clearer vision for wearers especially in low-light conditions, drastically improving vision for those drivers for whom night driving is an issue. This is buttressed by ZEISS’ DuraVision® DriveSafe Coating, a new and unique AR treatment which partially reflects the wavelengths responsible for unclear vision, discomfort and irritation, resulting in less perceived glare up to 64 percent. The coating is especially efficient at reducing glare and strain caused by oncoming LED and Xenon headlights, which are particularly responsible for night-driving issues (indeed, 40 percent of all road accidents take place after dark).

What’s more, for PAL wearers, ZEISS has developed the DriveSafe Progressive Lenses, a PAL made especially for use behind the wheel, with optimized distance and intermediate viewing zones, which have 43 percent and 14 percent larger distance, respectively, than average PALs. This reduces the need for horizontal head movements, making it easier for patients to quickly refocus between the road, dashboard and mirrors. Not to be relegated to just use as a night driving lens, DriveSafe lenses are also excellent for daytime wear in sunny conditions, blocking UV rays up to 400 nm, the same standard as premium sunwear. ZEISS DriveSafe lenses offer all things to all wearers, with maximum versatility regardless of the time of day or driving conditions. Wearers are already starting to notice the difference too: In a survey of early DriveSafe adopters, 97 percent felt that they satisfied their needs behind the wheel, while out of those, 94 percent felt that they were perfect for general everyday use, utilizing them outside the vehicle as well. This demonstrates that not only is there a patient demand for lenses precisely like Drive Safe, but that the vast majority of users have found them to be just the solution they’re looking for. Driving is a vital but potentially dangerous part of life and possibly the most important thing your patients will ever use their eyewear for. Their own safety, as well as the safety of other drivers, depends on their having clear, unimpeded 20/20 vision behind the wheel. As a part of the ECP and opticians’ mandate to provide their patients optimal health and safety, ZEISS DriveSafe lenses should be a consideration for every patient actively using automobiles for work, leisure or strictly transportation purposes. They’ll probably thank you—after all, 97 percent of wearers can’t be wrong.