Seeing halos or glare while driving at night is usually a sign that light is not focusing cleanly through your eyes. Headlights, streetlights, and traffic signals can appear streaky, starburst-like, or surrounded by rings, making it harder to feel confident behind the wheel.
Occasional glare can happen to anyone, especially in rainy weather or with dirty lenses. But if night glare is frequent, worsening, or making driving uncomfortable, a comprehensive eye exam can help identify the cause.
What causes halos and glare at night?
Halos and glare can develop for several reasons. Some are simple, like needing an updated prescription, while others may involve changes in the eye’s surface or internal lens.
Common causes include:
- Uncorrected prescription changes: Nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism can make lights scatter instead of appearing sharp.
- Dry eye: When your tear film is unstable, light may scatter across the eye’s surface and create glare.
- Cataracts: Clouding of the eye’s natural lens can make nighttime lights look hazy, bright, or surrounded by halos.
- Contact lens issues: Poor fit, dryness, or lens deposits can affect clarity, especially at night.
- Scratched or outdated glasses: Worn lenses or older coatings can make glare more noticeable.
Because these causes can feel similar, an eye exam is the best way to know what is actually affecting your vision.
Can dry eyes make night driving glare worse?
Yes, dry eyes can make night driving glare worse. Your tears help create a smooth optical surface, and when that surface breaks up too quickly, lights may look smeared, streaked, or surrounded by glare.
Dry eye symptoms can include burning, watering, redness, fluctuating blurry vision, and discomfort with contacts. If dry eye is contributing to your night vision issues, we offer dry eye treatment options to help improve comfort and visual stability. For some patients, iProX dry eye treatment may also be recommended depending on the type and severity of dry eye.
Could my glasses or contacts be the problem?
Yes, your glasses or contacts may be part of the problem. Even a small prescription change can make headlights look sharper, streakier, or more distracting at night. Scratched lenses, worn coatings, or lenses without anti-reflective protection can also make glare more noticeable.
For glasses wearers, choosing the best lenses for your glasses can make a noticeable difference in nighttime clarity, especially if glare is related to lens material, coatings, or an outdated prescription.
If you wear contacts, a contact lens exam can help determine whether your lenses are fitting properly or contributing to dryness, fluctuating vision, or glare.
When should I schedule an eye exam?
You should schedule an eye exam if halos or glare are new, getting worse, affecting your driving, or happening along with blurry vision, eye pain, redness, or sudden vision changes.
During an exam, your eye doctor can check your prescription, evaluate the front surface of your eyes, and look for eye health changes that may affect night vision. We use sophisticated eye health care technology to support a more detailed evaluation when needed.
See more clearly and confidently at night
Nighttime halos and glare are common, but they should not be ignored if they interfere with your comfort or safety. Whether the cause is dry eye, a prescription change, contact lens issues, or another eye health concern, we can help you find the right next step. Schedule an eye exam to get answers and protect your vision on the road.
