"Night blindness"?

[DMNTD]

Anyone else have issues riding at night and dealing with oncoming cars especially if it's raining?
What do you do to cope? BTW...my vision is bang on in all other circumstances but I've always had this issue.

[Colapop]

Yep. I get it right on dusk. Night isn't too bad. But then I wear glasses.

[Grahameeboy]

I used to but gained lots of confidence doing Woodcocks at night and really enjoyed it....
With rain I just focus on the rain drops and dodge them...

[madandy]

The glare from the headlights piercing through the rain drops on yer visor and the fact our eyes are in night mode to allow maximum light in has given me issues in the past too, Chris.
I find a rainex type product on my visor helps minimise the rain drops magnifying the oncoming lights.
I also ride in the left wheel track and attempt to avert my focus from the oncoming glowing balls, keep my gaze up above the nearest threat [which would have grabbed yer attention by now if it were a threat] trying to scan well ahead and check my position on the road and general driections against the painted white line to the left - the shoulder line.
Been some foul weather between here & up NORF lately huh?!

[McDuck]

Could it be small scrashes on the visor showing up? Maby try a new/different visor?

[nadroj]

Take ya sunnies & tinted visor off! (pt):whistle:

Seriously, use a visor product like rainex or pledge furniture polish & turn your head sideways to blow the rain bubbles off your visor occasionally.

[Bonez]

Try not the stare at the headlights and keep an eye on the left side white line if the road has them. Carefull though this can catch you out on tight corners that have a road going off them. Oh and slow down.

I find I sometimes get a ghost imaging due to the reflection of oncoming traffic lights on my glasses at night as well.

[DMNTD]

My visors are both mint and despite the fact that I do use a certain product so that the rain does bead off I still have issues...yeah yeah I know :rolleyes:
Btw...it's still bad even if it's not raining etc.
Anything an ophthalmologist could help me with?

[McDuck]

I would go in for an eye check, it is not much cash for pace of mind.

[Colapop]

I reckon get your peepers checked anyway. Maybe contacts are the go? I know that your (everyones) eyes change as they get older.

[DMNTD]

I reckon get your peepers checked anyway. Maybe contacts are the go? I know that your (everyone's) eyes change as they get older.


I would go in for an eye check, it is not much cash for pace of mind.

Yep I will be getting myself an eye check however I've always had this issue....it is not a new thing however since I've been doing the 400km commute to work recently it's really come to light.

[hXc]

Go faster and the rain will fly off your visor. And the oncoming cars won't be oncoming for quite as long.

[MyGSXF]

Yep.. night time & rain together is a real prick! :argh:

I use pledge on the outside of the visor, helps rain to run off.. catcrap or similar on the inside of the visor, to stop fogging.. I ride in the left hand wheeltrack, slow down, ride like a nana & don't stare at the large yellow orbs glowing & looming up in front of me.. :eek5:

Mostly where ever possible.. I simply avoid situations like that.. unless absolutely necessary :baby:

Jen :rockon:

[McDuck]

400km communte?

[Colapop]

Fatigue perhaps then? I dunno, just trying to think of shit...

[DMNTD]

Must add again that this is not only a problem for me when it's raining...it's simply a night time thing. Maybe it's just the monsters I'm scared of,not too certain at this stage.
I'm really trying to find out how others deal with it.



Go faster and the rain will fly off your visor. And the oncoming cars won't be oncoming for quite as long.
You are a poor influence on such an impressionable chap as myself.


400km communte?
No...commute :chase: I work in Whangarei


Fatigue perhaps then? I dunno, just trying to think of shit...
Nope not a fatigue issue Col...and I have no issue re thinking or talking shit :rolleyes:

[Jeaves]

Yep I will be getting myself an eye check however I've always had this issue....it is not a new thing however since I've been doing the 400km commute to work recently it's really come to light.


I have the same issue . Headlights tear my eyes to shit , cant see very well on open unlit roads esp if its raining , cant see the white roadmarkings in the rain , sometimes i cant tell which way the road turns until almost the very very last moment whilst raining.

Went and had my eyes checked , slightly short sighted and was prescribed glasse's (fixed some blurs). However my vision is fine enough that i Legally dont have to wear them whilst riding etc (my eyes are more or less ok)

So to solve the problem I dont ride/drive at night on open roads when raining , occasionly do if not raining but at a snails pace. Around town/motorway/lit roads is normally ok.

[DMNTD]

I have the same issue . Headlights tear my eyes to shit , cant see very well on open unlit roads esp if its raining , cant see the white road markings in the rain , sometimes i cant tell which way the road turns until almost the very very last moment whilst raining.

Went and had my eyes checked , slightly short sighted and was prescribed glasses (fixed some blurs). However my vision is fine enough that i Legally don't have to wear them whilst riding etc (my eyes are more or less ok)

So to solve the problem I don't ride/drive at night on open roads when raining , occasionally do if not raining but at a snails pace. Around town/motorway/lit roads is normally ok.

Wow....bang on mate!! Tell me...do you wear them at any other stage too?

[Matt Bleck]

Wow....bang on mate!! Tell me...do you wear them at any other stage too?
When I'm riding at night and have cars approaching i look down at the white line to the left of my lane, this isn't always possible on some back roads tho.

I also got a problem with being dazzled by road signs at night, i find I have to dip my lights alot of the time.

[hXc]

You are a poor influence on such an impressionable chap as myself.Well, it works for me. Just thought I'd give ya some real life experience.:cool:

[DMNTD]

Well, it works for me. Just thought I'd give ya some real life experience.:cool:

Cheers man 'cause I'm completely lacking in life experience :devil2:

[Jeaves]

Wow....bang on mate!! Tell me...do you wear them at any other stage too?

Everynow and then i wear them to sharpen up images and letters if im doing something for a long period of time if they are handy to me (hell i dont actually know where they are at the moment) but i can still read ok without the glasse's if you know what i mean . During daylight my eyes are as good as the next man's.

[hXc]

Cheers man 'cause I'm completely lacking in life experience :devil2:Well yeh. Lived in a sheltered upbringing in the quiet area of Northland. Can't have got out much, nothing to do eh?:shutup:

[Drew]

Get some yellow glasses, specially made for driving at night. They work mint, brighten everything up, but not oncoming lights. Dunno what they're called, or what trickery is involved to make 'em work, but good reviews from people I trust. I dont have any trouble at night, so never needed to test them.

[MyGSXF]

Another idea is to get a kick arse bulb for ya headlight.. 'Xenon' (sp?) is one brand that I know of.. there may be others that are brighter/better.. :niceone:

[DMNTD]

Another idea is to get a kick arse bulb for ya headlight.. 'Xenon' (sp?) is one brand that I know of.. there may be others that are brighter/better.. :niceone:
Already done x4 on the ZX14. I'm fine if I have the lights on high beam....christ,everyone in a 5km radius is fine!
It's really just the approaching cars and/or rain whilst on low beam due to other cars/bikes on the roads.



Get some yellow glasses, specially made for driving at night. They work mint, brighten everything up, but not oncoming lights. Dunno what they're called, or what trickery is involved to make 'em work, but good reviews from people I trust. I dont have any trouble at night, so never needed to test them.
Noice...I think that they are used for shooting and maybe pilots wear them too.



Well yeh. Lived in a sheltered upbringing in the quiet area of Northland. Can't have got out much, nothing to do eh?:shutup:
Heh...if only you knew the truth

[Goblin]

Another idea is to get a kick arse bulb for ya headlight.. 'Xenon' (sp?) is one brand that I know of.. there may be others that are brighter/better.. :niceone:Jen...it's Italian.
Fried spaghetti anyone??:devil2: :blah:

[Xaria]

I have the same thing, on the bike or in a car, after a bright light such as an oncoming car it takes me a couple of seconds to readjust. I just really avoid night driving and when I do I am an utter nana - even more than normal.

[Matt_TG]

Do you have halo/star/glare problems, or difficulty differentiating between various shades of dark?

I wore glasses / contacts for 23 years and had mostly good night vision. Late last year I had Lasik surgery and my night vision after that for a few months was crap - due to the pupil enlarging at night and it expanding beyond the radius of where they did the cut, which refracted the light.

Now, 7 months later the night visions fine again, mainly due to the scar healing.

Today I had a full on Opthalogical test and they tested contrast sensitivity and glare, dark, light stuff. The optometrist was pretty clued up on not only the technical things as to why eyes work but seemed pretty much into the neurological side of things - meaning he is into correcting problems without using glasses, training your eyes etc. He picked up something with me that no optometrist had ever told me about one eye doing weird things and when he told me what it could result in (stiff neck and headaches) he was spot on. It's not a problem to be worried about but I now am aware of it and can do things to avoid the symptoms.

It could be worth looking into.

Details:

Vision Development Centre
Thomas Road
Hamilton
Paul Dickson
Phone: 07 853 2403

Hope this helps :)

[MyGSXF]

Already done x4 on the ZX14. I'm fine if I have the lights on high beam....christ,everyone in a 5km radius is fine!
It's really just the approaching cars and/or rain whilst on low beam due to other cars/bikes on the roads.

:shit:crikey.. 4!!?? that's greedy! :lol:

I think night riding is the bane of many motorcyclists lives :baby: we are supposed to look up & look forwards, & set our lines & brake before we enter the corner blabla... but when ya can't blaady SEE the corner.. wtf are we sposed to do!!!??? :argh: sounds like you are doing/have done bout all ya can do Chris.. :niceone: maybe the eye test may show something... worth a crack anyway! :msn-wink:

Also keep an eye on the markers on the side of the road & chevrons etc indicating corners :yes:



Jen...it's Italian.
Fried spaghetti anyone??:devil2:

:doh: oh yeah... forgot bout that.. :whistle:

[FROSTY]

I hate riding when its getting dark.My depth perception gets tottaly screwwed up.
I used to use an orange visor which helped heaps.
I think as Drew said you can get night driveing glasses which have orange or yellow lenses
Actually I think they might be target shooting glasses

[Rogue]

eat more carrots dude :rofl:

[sunhuntin]

i have the same issues. i avoid open roads at night unless 100% necessary. i stick left and focus on the white line instead. i do get blinded by headlights, both oncoming and in the mirrors. when ive got both, i cant see much of anything. if i am stuck at night on the open road, ill try and stick on roads i know like the back of my hand [ie, bulls to wanganui]

[beyond]

Hi Chris,

Riding at night in the rain sux... full stop!

Ever since I started riding when I was young and even now, riding at night in the rain with oncoming traffic is shit, pure and simple.

I can spot a rabbit on the hill side 100's of metres away and now need reading glasses but have always had that problem.

You aren't alone. Motorbike visors covered in rain and oncoming traffic at night just do not mix, never have and never will. One of the reasons I try as hard as possible to never ride at night in the rain.

My other pet peeve is traffic behind you with lights on glaring back through your mirrors when riding at night in the rain :(

[madandy]

Some amber/yellow polarised lenses may be just the trick.
Consult an eye specialist as suggested I guess....of course some will try and sell you some expensive corrective lenses but, as mentioned, the problem may be simpler than faulty eye bits in ya head :)

[xgnr]

All good advice.

Personally I hated riding in the wet and even more so at night but needed to get used to it if I was going to get through the Rusty Nuts Grand Challenge.

The 2007 event was a shocker with lots of rain through the night. I recall riding at about 30km/hr north towards Whangarei in sheeting rain and wondering what the hell I was doing. Couldn't see anything when a car approached. Best technique I found was to simply keep my visor partly open and be very aware of the left hand white line/markers.

After a while it all became quite routine and my average speed increased as I got used to it.

Cheers

Stu

[Patch]

Its possibly a combination of everything but age & fatigue will be the biggest factors.

If its always been there, fatigue will only make it worse, combined at night with the rain the mushy grey matter may be a bit slow at times with all that concentration going on.

Go see a decent opto :doctor: and keep taking the little blue pill to help with the ageing process :devil2:



I don't do frig all night stuff any more for the above reasons (especially on two wheels). The easiest way I find to cope with it is wait 'til very early morning, alot less traffic and dawn is better than dusk.

[Usarka]

jeaves has the same problem and he has a chemical brothers avatar?

Dilated pupils...... :eek5: :nono:

[Ixion]

In the dry is OK, though I hate encountering a cage with full beams on mid corner. Furtunately you normally see the light haze sufficiently in advance to be prepared.

In the rain, I find I can't see at all with a visor. So, simple solution, I just open it. Sorted. Never had visors back in the day.

[PrincessBandit]

I have crizal lenses on my specs which hugely reduce flaring from lights. Don't seem to notice my visor being a problem here, even in rain. But what i DO hate is fog. Rode to Hamilton last weekend in pea soup the whole way from Bombay to Huntly and had to keep swiping across my face every couple of minutes as the droplets were so fine they wouldn't bead and run off! Most annoying.

[HTFU]

I have the same issue . Headlights tear my eyes to shit , cant see very well on open unlit roads esp if its raining , cant see the white roadmarkings in the rain , sometimes i cant tell which way the road turns until almost the very very last moment whilst raining.

Went and had my eyes checked , slightly short sighted and was prescribed glasse's (fixed some blurs). However my vision is fine enough that i Legally dont have to wear them whilst riding etc (my eyes are more or less ok)



I too feel your pain. Also short sighted, not much but enough to create a problem at night. Glasses sorted it for me, quite the difference.

(I have just started failing the eye test on the machine at the testing station but can still get pass the optometrists eye chart - but only just)

[Conquiztador]

I knew there was a reason I don't use visors...

[Jeaves]

I too feel your pain. Also short sighted, not much but enough to create a problem at night. Glasses sorted it for me, quite the difference.

(I have just started failing the eye test on the machine at the testing station but can still get pass the optometrists eye chart - but only just)

Yeah I have problems with them as well , I only see two columns all merged together rather than three , but half the problem is the shit testing machines they have - as I eventually focus enough to see it all clearly-ish

[gijoe1313]

Face it mate, yer getting old and these are all just meh meh fooking neeeowww excuses! :devil2:

Know what you mean, me being a short sighted squinty asian devil ... I don't think I've encountered the prob you mentioned, but seen it first hand with Jeaves (he was on a group night ride and had the common sense to pull off from the ride when he was encountering difficulties you mentioned)

Its a hard one, I could recommend some arcane asian remedies, but you wouldn't like them?

[Waylander]

eat more carrots dude :rofl:
Beat me to it.


Have that problem too DMNTD. I just guess where the road is going.

[mister.koz]

I seem to remember that rainex, even when applied REALLY well creates a bit of a glare effect in itself, kinda like polish spidering but more subtle..

I could be wrong but i am sure i have seen it on my car's windscreen, of course with the car, its all good cause it's better to have a slight glare and no rain issues. If it causes a bit of glare being a way away from it, i imagine the glare would be allot worse on a visor thats right by your eyes?

[Paranoid Android]

as i am getting older i see my sight slipping away. but it turns out twilight is a shit time for me to ride. daylight perfect and pitch black not so bad. maybe its all this looking at a monitor

[Gremlin]

Is the problem the same for light roads and unlit roads? I assume that kind of commute takes in country roads and lit motorways.

Personally, I don't mind using a tinted visor at all times, although it darkens the dark around lights a bit, the lights aren't nearly as bright, which helps to keep my night vision. I ride in the dark quite a bit, and actually find it quite relaxing because of the lack of traffic.

[mugins]

try my orange tint visor it's my shoei at work

[Nasty]

... The 2007 event was a shocker with lots of rain through the night. I recall riding at about 30km/hr north towards Whangarei in sheeting rain and wondering what the hell I was doing. Couldn't see anything when a car approached. Best technique I found was to simply keep my visor partly open and be very aware of the left hand white line/markers.

After a while it all became quite routine and my average speed increased as I got used to it.

This is the same technique I have always used when drving or riding at night ... I have always had an issue with nightblindness (nothing to do with being long sighted) from when I was young ... a friend (cop) told me the best way around it was to look to the left and follow the white lines as they are normally exceptional guides to what the road is doing.

[erik]

I have the same problem. I'd be surprised if anyone didn't have trouble seeing at night in the rain when there's oncoming traffic.

I'm a tiny bit short sighted (good enough to ride and fly without glasses), I know that without glasses at night, lights seem a bit bigger/fuzzier and affect more of my vision than if I have glasses on. But I don't think glasses would help me much in the rain at night (plus they can fog up themselves).

Headlights these days are too damn bright.

[DMNTD]

try my orange tint visor it's my shoei at work
Cheers Mike...will be back up tonight so will try it this week.

Have spoken to a few more people down here and they believe that since I DON'T have an issue at dusk where yellow/orange lenses/visor would help,that a rose coloured lens/visor would help when dark.


Is the problem the same for light roads and unlit roads? I assume that kind of commute takes in country roads and lit motorways.
I only have the problem if it's an unlit road and have oncoming traffic approaching.

[madandy]

Cheers Mike...will be back up tonight so will try it this week.

Have spoken to a few more people down here and they believe that since I DON'T have an issue at dusk where yellow/orange lenses/visor would help,that a rose coloured lens/visor would help when dark.


I only have the problem if it's an unlit road and have oncoming traffic approaching.

So looking out at the world through 'rose coloured glasses' will make things better? :banana: :lol: :banana:

John Lennons any one :jerry:

[Biggles2000]

I'm exactly the same. As I get older I am noticing my night vision getting worse.
What I do is: Keep your visor clean and scratch free. Don't look into incoming headlights and get used to following the white line on the LHS of the road. Treat the visor (and specs) with one of the many anti fog agents. Have a bright head light. Whipe excess water off the visor before the oncoming cars are on top of you. Ride to the conditions.

Finally consider taking the car and ride tomorow.

[Mikkel]

Now this is not going to be too much help I am afraid, but...

People are created differently, some people just have poor night vision and some have good. E.g. my girlfriend hates driving at night whereas I love it...

At the end of the day there may not be too much you can do about it - but seeing an eye-medic and trying the night gear is certainly worth a try.

Best of luck!

[EnzoYug]

get some very very very light, almost clear if you can, sunnies that are polarised. The glare will be gone.

Polarised lenses are a winner night, or day.

[xgnr]

get some very very very light, almost clear if you can, sunnies that are polarised. The glare will be gone.

Polarised lenses are a winner night, or day.

Yeah? cool. I have polarised sunnies and they turn the Visor multi-coloured but I can live with this.

Is this for real. I have a set of glasses that have interchangeable lenses dark thru to clear) and they are v. good for pushbike and Mo' bike but when it rains it is all crap.

I cant see how polarised lenses gets around the beads of water and the light going all nuts... can someone confirm?


Maybe we are onto a winner here?

Cheers

Stu

[trump-lady]

Im exactly the same. Even in the car I have the same problem at night. I hate driving/riding at night and just seem to have issues in general. Its not a visor thing either cause my windscreen in my car is fine. Ive put it down to just one of those things. Im extra careful, alot slower and I try to avoid it at all times on the bike especially if its rainning. Its worse as cars aproach...headlights. I have had my eyes tested and theres no problem. If you work it out please let me know cause from the little I have read I have the same issue.

[xgnr]

Oh by the way my eye sight is damn perfek... had it tested a wee while ago ha ha

[Drew]

My understanding, (limited in the ways of science as it is), is that polarised lenses seperate the different colours and brightness, making everything sharper (so to speak).

[007XX]

Yeah? cool. I have polarised sunnies and they turn the Visor multi-coloured but I can live with this.

Stu

I get the same thing, especially when looking at water...it immediately looks as if I'm staring at rainbows...F'in pain in the arse it is! makes you feel like you had mushies 30 mins before going riding :eek5:

I hate to admit it, but riding at dusk is my least favourite thing to do...even though I have perfect eyesight, I really struggle with the shadows and half light at that time of the day.

I'd suggest that it is all down to getting used to it if I didn't already know how long DMNTD has been riding, and how well he does it.

[bungbung]

eat carrots

[Number One]

I have multifocal intra-occular lenses in my eyes. They light up like possums do when you points a torch at them. Only thing I feel safe doing is avoiding night riding, following others if I get stuck somewhere (even if it's a car) and sticking to well lit areas.

For instance - I'm happy to go for a night ride that'd take me along the Hutt/Welly motorway but wouldn't be able to ride the Rimas in the dark...as exposed in last nights TRTNR - sorry I couldn't out help guys :mellow:

[Mikkel]

My understanding, (limited in the ways of science as it is), is that polarised lenses seperate the different colours and brightness, making everything sharper (so to speak).

Polaroid lenses has a linear filter that absorbs light with a certain polarisation (a bit hard to explain, but if you want me in nerd mode do say so ;) ). The filter is aligned so that it absorbs light polarised in the horizontal direction.

With non-polarised light (e.g. ambient) a fraction of the light will be absorbed in the filter.

However, light reflected off a surface tend to be polarised along the plane it is reflected off. In many cases reflections will be off a horizontal surface and as such contains a large degree of horizontally polarised light. This will then be absorbed by the polaroid lens.

So, polaroid lenses absorb a larger amount of reflected light - reducing glare from cars, water, "heat haze", etc. This makes them great for various applications such as driving and fishing.

[Maha]

An eye test will/should tell what is up my nigger.....
Tell me something Chris, do you have floaters?.... now before you mention anything about looking in the shitter, i mean those black floating things in your eyes?
If so, I can tell you what your problem could be.

[DMNTD]

An eye test will/should tell what is up my nigger.....
Tell me something Chris, do you have floaters?.... now before you mention anything about looking in the shitter, i mean those black floating things in your eyes?
If so, I can tell you what your problem could be.

Nope no floaters G :lol:
Rode back through Pyes Pa last night following another rider and as soon as he turned off it became quite dangerous...depth perception was non existent and oncoming cars were a nightmare.
Will be having my eyes seen to(:lol: :rolleyes:) next week.

Personally I just think I need a new bike....surely that will help!

[Number One]

do you have floaters?....

I had them for the first couple of years after my ops Maha. You can get them zapped too and they break up into smaller pieces and eventually break down.

Got one at the moment that's driving me batty :2guns:

[Maha]

I had them for the first couple of years after my ops Maha. You can get them zapped too and they break up into smaller pieces and eventually break down.

Got one at the moment that's driving me batty :2guns:

Yeah I have one or two in my right eye which is first one they replaced so I may need a trip to get them zapped. They did say it might happen.

[Rob Taylor]

Yes age is the problem.My night vision is getting bad. You may have noticed the harley tourers riding with there driving lights on during the day.They are set up to be on at low beam to give a bright spread light.So bright high beam (single light) to bright spread low beam (3 lights).Its great and no blind issues.Im always lifting my visor at night with on coming cars and it does become a problem when wet...Your not alone:(

[Mike748]

Had my eyes tested a few years ago after finding night driving difficult, I had to stare at small or distant objects before I could identify them, I kept ignoring it until I finally failed to spot a cop car on the side of the road:pinch:.

Turns out my eyesight was ok (legal) to drive without glasses but as it had deteriorated quickly I was aware of the difference and I could therefore notice it.

While I'm easily legal to drive/ride without glasses poor lighting dilates the pupil making my vision worse, the opposite is true for bright sunlight which makes the pupil smaller and my vision sharper.