Is it a good idea to wear sunglasses while driving in rainy conditions?

Sudden rainstorms can disrupt your commute, making roads slippery, skies darker, and windshields smeared, reducing visibility drastically. Unless you relocate to arid California, options are limited.

Could wearing sunglasses during rain improve your driving experience? Snopes, a reliable source for debunking myths, has explored claims that sunglasses (of any type) can make rain seem invisible, reduce glare from other vehicles, and improve visibility in both day and night conditions. If these claims are false, many drivers might unknowingly be worsening their vision.

While this approach may seem absurd, it holds some validity. First, ignore the advice to wear sunglasses at night. Darkness already limits visibility, and sunglasses won’t improve rainfall visibility enough to counteract the reduced overall sight. However, wearing sunglasses during daytime rain (if the sky isn’t overly dark) can be beneficial, and they may also enhance contrast in light to moderate fog.

Contrary to popular belief, not all sunglasses improve visibility in the rain. Optometrists emphasize that only polarized lenses provide benefits. Polarized lenses minimize light scattering caused by reflective surfaces, such as glare from wet roads or headlights. By reducing unpredictable glare, they improve clarity and reduce distractions. Fog and light can similarly affect vision, so following these guidelines makes wearing sunglasses in the rain genuinely advantageous.