Retinitis Pigmentosa Support Group

I have been feeling increasingly uncomfortable driving at night and before dawn so I have been looking into "night vision" glasses... Just wondering if anyone has heard of these and if so, do they work? I see that they were made for driving, so that's a plus... But from what I can see, all they consist of is transparent-yellow lenses... Anyway, anyone with information would really be helpful.

James

Hi, James. I would say absolutely YES to night-driving glasses! I have a combined problem with glare, everything looking washed-out and blurry, and a good pair of glasses makes all the difference in the world!

Hi James, Were you ever able to locate a decent pair of night driving spectacles?

Yellow lenses enhance contrast and reduce glare- both excellent for night driving. Add a correction factor to boost your acuity, and you're doing the best you can for night activity. If you have RP, though, I would seriously recommend that you reconsider night driving. Please. Of course only you know how good or bad your vision is; and only you know what you can and cannot see. Be that as it may, though, any time the words "night" and "driving" show up in the same sentence, I get concerned.

"Night Vision" implies a technology that, with batteries and photons, magnifies ambient light by a factor of like 10,000. It's expensive, and not for driving. A basic "Generation 1" unit will cost around $500 to $1,000. A Generation 2, the next step up, will put you out around $3,000 to $5,000, and you still won't want to drive with them. A top of the line Mil. Spec. Generation 4 unit... around $12,000. Any magnification will destroy your depth perception. I actually bought a Gen. 1 unit to see stars and everything else I mis when the sun goes down. Tried walking with tim; wiped out. Good for seeing fa; far from walking good.

I agree wholeheartedly with Wiggy! I found absolutely nothing that helped to drive at night. Nothing to do but give it up. My problem recently was moving around outside when it has snowed as I can't tell where the edges of the driveway or road are and I have to get to the barn and the chicken coop to feed the animals. Now this is exclusively on my farm and NOT on roads outside the farm. I bought amber skiing goggles to wear under these conditions. They fit over my glasses. Used them several times. Unfortunately, I find that they reduce sharpness even though they enhance contrast. I don't wear them anymore.