Night Driving Glare and Halos: Glasses, Cataract or Just Tired?
Night driving glare and halos usually come from one of four ordinary causes: an uncorrected or outdated glasses number, an early cataract, a dirty or scratched windscreen or pair of glasses, or dry eyes. Tiredness makes all of them worse. But halos that arrive suddenly with eye pain, a red eye and headache can mean acute glaucoma, and that needs an eye doctor the same day.
At a glance
- Common causes: old or missing glasses number, early cataract, dirty or scratched glass, dry eye, fatigue
- Quick fixes tonight: clean the windscreen inside and out, clean your glasses, dim the dashboard, look toward the left edge of the road past oncoming lights
- Anti-reflective coating: helps reflections on your own lenses; it doesn’t fix cataract or dry eye
- Yellow night-driving glasses: skip them; they cut light when you need more
- Emergency: sudden halos with a painful red eye, headache or vomiting mean same-day care
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The GT Road after dark. A truck comes the other way with every light it owns switched on, and for three long seconds you see nothing but a white starburst. Everyone gets dazzled sometimes. But if headlights have started to look like smeared stars, if you see rings around streetlights, or if you now dread driving home after Isha, something has changed. Most of the time it’s fixable, and working out which cause is yours takes about a week and one eye test.
Why lights look worse at night
In the dark your pupils open wide to let in more light. Great for seeing dim things; not so great for sharpness. A wide pupil uses the whole lens and cornea, including the edges, where small imperfections live. Any haze, scratch, smear or small focusing error gets magnified, and a bright point of light spreads into a glow, a ring or a star. In daylight the pupil is small and hides the same problems, which is why your vision seems perfectly fine at noon.
Cause 1: an uncorrected or outdated number
A small short-sight or astigmatism number that doesn’t bother you in daylight often shows up at night, turning headlights into streaks. Some people become slightly more short-sighted in the dark, a quirk called night myopia. If your last eye test was years ago, this is the first thing to check. Bring your old slip; our guide to reading an eye prescription explains what CYL and axis mean for astigmatism.
Cause 2: early cataract
A cataract is a clouding of the lens inside the eye, usually from age, and sometimes earlier with diabetes, steroid use or eye injury. One of the first things people notice is glare: headlights and sunlight scatter through the hazy lens, colours look faded, and night driving becomes stressful long before reading is affected. The cataract early signs guide lists the other clues. Cataract is very treatable with surgery when it starts to interfere with daily life, and an eye doctor can tell you how far along it is.
Cause 3: dirty or scratched glass, and dry eyes
Don’t underestimate this one. The inside of a car windscreen collects a greasy film from dashboard plastics, cigarette smoke and breath, and at night that film catches every oncoming light. Worn wiper blades leave arcs. Scratched or coated-but-peeling spectacle lenses scatter light too.
Dry eyes add their own blur. A patchy tear film is like a smeared lens, and it’s worse with the AC blowing at your face, after a long screen day, or late at night when you blink less. If your vision clears after a few firm blinks, dryness is a strong suspect. The dry gritty eyes guide has simple checks.
What to do this week
- Clean the windscreen inside and out: use glass cleaner and two microfibre cloths, one to wipe and one to buff dry. Replace streaky wiper blades.
- Clean your glasses daily: wash with a drop of mild soap and water, rinse, and dry with a clean soft cloth, not your kameez.
- Check your lights: dirty or misaimed headlights make seeing the road harder and dazzle others.
- Dim the dashboard and phone: a bright screen shrinks your pupils and makes the road look darker.
- Look away from oncoming lights: aim your eyes at the left edge of your lane until the vehicle passes.
- Blink and point the AC away: keep the vents off your face, and use lubricating drops before a drive if a pharmacist suggests them.
- Book an eye test: ask specifically about night glare so the optometrist checks for cataract and astigmatism.
Before you blame your eyes, clean the glass you’re looking through.
Anti-reflective coating, honestly
An anti-reflective (AR) coating on spectacle lenses cuts the reflections that bounce off the front and back of the lens, the faint ghost images of headlights you sometimes see. Many drivers find it makes night driving more comfortable. What it can’t do is clear a cataract, correct a wrong number or fix dry eyes. It also scratches if cleaned roughly, and a scratched coating is worse than none.
Myth: yellow night-driving glasses help you see in the dark
Yellow or amber “night vision” glasses are sold at petrol pumps and online with the promise of cutting glare. They make the scene look brighter to some people, but they actually reduce the amount of light reaching your eyes, which is the last thing you need at night. Eye specialists advise against them for night driving.
When to stop driving at night
Be honest with yourself. Stop driving after dark until you’ve been tested if you can’t read road signs in time, if oncoming lights blind you for more than a moment, if you’ve had near misses you can’t explain, or if family members feel nervous as passengers. It’s a hard step, especially for the family’s only driver, but it’s usually temporary: new glasses or cataract surgery often brings night driving back.
Go to an eye doctor or emergency department the same day if halos around lights come on suddenly with a painful red eye, blurred vision, headache, nausea or vomiting. This can be acute angle-closure glaucoma, which can damage sight within hours; the kala motia guide explains who is at risk. Sudden loss of vision, a curtain across your sight, or a new shower of floaters and flashes also needs same-day care. If you use eye drops or any other medicine, keep to the plan your doctor gave; only they change it.
More guides on vision and ageing eyes are in our Eye Care section.
Night driving questions people ask
Why do I see halos around lights at night?
Wide night-time pupils magnify small problems such as an uncorrected number, an early cataract, dry eyes or smeared glasses. Sudden halos with pain and a red eye are different and need same-day care.
Is glare while night driving a sign of cataract?
It can be one of the earliest signs, especially after 50 or with diabetes. Only an eye examination can confirm it.
Do anti-glare glasses help with night driving?
Anti-reflective coating on clear prescription lenses can reduce reflections and feel more comfortable. Tinted or yellow “night driving” glasses reduce light and aren’t advised.
Can dry eyes cause blurry night vision?
Yes. A patchy tear film blurs vision, and it’s often worse at night and in AC. If blinking clears it for a while, dryness is a likely cause.
Why is my night vision getting worse with age?
Pupils get smaller with age and the lens gets hazier, so less light reaches the retina and more of it scatters. Cataract is a common reason, and it can be treated.
What is night myopia?
It’s a slight increase in short sight in the dark that some people have. A small extra correction for night driving can help, and an optometrist can check for it.
Can astigmatism cause starbursts around headlights?
Yes, uncorrected astigmatism often turns points of light into streaks or stars. Glasses with the right CYL and axis correction usually help.
Should I stop driving at night if I see glare?
If glare makes you miss signs, blinds you for more than a moment or causes near misses, stop driving after dark until you’ve had an eye test. The cause is often fixable.
Does LASIK cause night glare?
Glare and halos are common in the first months after LASIK and usually fade. If they persist, the surgeon should assess you.
How do I clean the inside of my windscreen?
Spray glass cleaner onto a microfibre cloth rather than the glass, wipe, then buff dry with a second clean cloth. Do it every week or two.
Are halos around lights an emergency?
They are if they appear suddenly with eye pain, redness, headache, nausea or blurred vision, because that can be acute glaucoma. Go for care the same day.