5 reasons this rally champion swears by Shamir Lenses
If you drive regularly, and wear glasses, the right lenses can make a world of difference in varying light conditions. Light intensities are constantly changing, you’re shifting your focus from near to far, and in many modern cars you even have to contend with the glare of bright in-car screens.
To counter these visual challenges faced by drivers, world-leading optical lens manufacturer Shamir has developed a comprehensive solution addressing varied needs & light conditions.
Dubbed Driver Intelligence™, the lenses are a result of extensive research and development, real-world trials and even input from BWT Alpine Formula One™ Team, of which Shamir is the official optical performance partner.
A Shamir spokesperson tells Open Road, “We’re very happy with the results. If you wear glasses when driving, you’ll really notice a difference – it’s much clearer, there’s a lot less glare and they just feel a lot more comfortable over longer periods.”
In this article, we hear from Australian rally driver Harry Bates on the five ways Shamir’s Driver Intelligence™ technology have proven the best driving lenses in competition but also in his daily life.
1. A ‘cheat code’ for driving glasses
Shamir’s driving lenses offer a wider visual field for faster information processing, meaning a clearer view of the road rushing through the windscreen – a massive benefit when rally driving, says Bates. “If you wear corrective lenses, Shamir Driver Intelligence™ is a cheat code,” he says.
“Rallying is one of the toughest forms of motorsport,” adds Bates. “We have rocks, bumps, jumps, crests, lots of detail to look out for on the roads, and all with very small margins for error. And I can switch my eyes to the next thing faster than I could before.”
2. Supports Smoother focus shifts
Around one in four people have trouble quickly shifting focus across varying distances. Shamir’s engineers collected around 20 million data points to fully understand what your eyes need behind the wheel and create lenses designed to support smoother visual transitions.
3. Helps cut down on sun glare
Available in Single Vision OR Progressive, Day lenses enhance colour perception and reduce glare thanks to a specialised Colour Enhancement Filter. Distracting reflections are dramatically reduced by the anti-reflection coating.
4. Reduces glare at night
The clear Night Driving Lenses are specifically engineered to dramatically reduce the ‘starring effect’ you experience from lights at night – like the LED headlights of modern cars. They also reduce low-light noise and improve low-light sharpness and contrast.
“I’ve now done lots of night driving wearing the Night Driving lens … and it really is a big benefit,” says Bates. “To have the clarity of vision without all of the light sort of coming into your eyes, and the various distractions that are out there, is really helpful and I actually wear the Night Driving lens as well in the rally car. With these lenses on, it’s all been pretty seamless for me and I’ve found myself finding it easier to adjust to those conditions.”
5. Stay Focused
By reducing glare and the strain on your eyes, Shamir’s Driver Intelligence lenses can make a long drive a lot more comfortable. “I find that at the end of a long journey I’m just less fatigued,” says Bates. “That’s really the big takeaway for me from having spent six months now with these lenses.”
Also durable and easy to clean, Shamir’s lenses are manufactured in Australia to the highest standard. Available both polarised and non-polarised, Shamir Driver Intelligence can be added to any existing prescription.
Find your nearest Australian Shamir practitioner at www.shamir.com/au
