Serious Sun-Glass

[Robert Atkinson 2Participant @robertatkinson2]

Bernard has mentioned something I was about to warn about.

Don’t use polarised glasses when driving a modern car. The LCD displays rely on polarised light to operate. Depending on how thai aligins with your glasses ti cn prvent you seeing the display / dashboard. Also affects some phone / computer / TV screens. Thia has led to a reduction in popularity of polarised lenses.

Dave,
I’ve seen that done, both mechanically and electronically (liquid crystal) on aircraft cabin windows but never on a pilots visor. Do you know what aircraft this was on? I assume it was sometime ago as on modern aircraft there are issues with LCD displays and possibly Head Up displays (HUD).

Michael,
Very glad you are going to take professional advice.

Robert.

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

Strange thing is my prescription sunglasses are not polarised!!!

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

The Dambusters used blue filters on the cockpit windows and amber googles for the flight crew so that they could see the instruments but even in daylight the outside looked dark. I’m not sure what the police would make of that if Michael trued ig on his car.

[Robert Atkinson 2]

On Robert Atkinson 2 Said:

…
I’ve seen that done, both mechanically and electronically (liquid crystal) on aircraft cabin windows but never on a pilots visor. Do you know what aircraft this was on? I assume it was sometime ago as on modern aircraft there are issues with LCD displays and possibly Head Up displays (HUD).

It’s mentioned in one of my schoolboy books on the wonders of aviation circa 1960.  No details or a picture, but I guess more likely to have been googles than a wrap-around type.

Not sure about the advice to avoid polarising glasses whilst driving. Car instruments aren’t safety critical, but driving along a wet road into the rising or setting sun is!  That’s when I wear them.

I wonder if ordinary glasses are frequency sensitive, and might block LED light disprortionally. Cheap glasses tha block visible light but not UV are famously bad for the eyes.  Fooled into thinking it’s dim the iris opens and lets UV into the retina at full blast.

I’ve read that sunglasses are rarely necessary in the UK (normal eyesight adapts) and they cause accidents.  The auto-darkening type take so long to clear that drivers go blind for minutes at a time.  I’ve even seen drivers wearing them at night.  Poseurs…

Dave

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