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ACIAD - Australian Chronic Inflammatory and Autoimmune Diseases Foundation, Inc |
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View members discussion forum at http://www.ausautoimmunity.org.au/Forum |
Driving and travel Car Tinting Car travel is a major difficulty for those who develop extreme sun and light sensitivity while on the MP. The first few decades of car tinting products were based on dyes and splutttered metals to reduce sun and light within a car. Unfortunately they did little to reduce UV light transmission, at least not to the level needed by many MP patients. Recently a range of nano technology polyester film based products have been developed which provide between 95% and 99% reduction in UV transmission. Importantly they achieve this level of UV reduction with little reduction in visible light. They are thus safer than the earlier products, particularly at night. Some of the Solargard Car Tinting films ( details at http://www.solargard.com.au/Dealer_Locator/Home) are of this type,and they have dealers located around Australia. Other car tinters might provide similar products. Safety when driving
Under the Australian Standards for sunglasses for normal everyday use, the sunglasses must transmit at least 50% of the incident light. This is in part a requirement to ensure that people using sunglasses while driving do so with safety. The medium and dark NoIR glasses used in the MP are special purpose prescription glasses. They transmit only 10% and 2% respectively of the incident light. Thus neither of these NoIR glasses meet Australian Standards for general purpose sunglasses. However they are most often required by MP patients because of the extreme light sensitivity which develops in the early stages of the MP. Patients using the medium and dark NoIR sunglasses should only drive when they are in no doubt that they have adequate visibility. They should separately check their capacity in daytime, dusk and night-time conditions, and decide for themselves the circumstances in which they drive. As light sensitivity can change during the MP – becoming both worse and then gradually improving - patients should regularly re-assess their daytime, dusk and night time driving capacities. Air Travel Travelling in the evening is an easier way to minimise the high light and UVB exposures associated with airports and air travel.
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