Effects of yellow lenses on disability glare from low-beam headlights

Abstract

Yellow glasses for nighttime driving are marketed as tools that can reduce headlight glare and improve visibility by cutting blue light. However, only few empirical evidences support these benefits. The present study was aimed to assess the effect of yellow lenses on reducing disability from peripheral glare caused by headlights and improving contrast sensitivity. On evaluating contrast sensitivity, the participants wore three types of lenses: clear (with 95% luminance transmission), gray (with 79% luminance transmission), and yellow (with 77% luminance transmission). The glare source was induced using low-beam headlights from oncoming vehicles positioned at a distance of 40 m. The results revealed that wearing gray and yellow lenses at night significantly reduced contrast sensitivity, while wearing yellow lenses under glare conditions slightly improved contrast sensitivity. Despite this slight improvement, the use of yellow lenses at night is not advisable, as the overall disadvantages surpass their benefits. These findings raise questions about the claimed benefits of yellow lenses for nighttime driving and highlight the need for further research to validate the effect of nighttime glasses.