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So you were out for a beautiful drive when the skies opened up and it began to pour. Even with your windshield wipers on full speed, you had to squint between the drops collecting on your windshield to see the road. Despite the dark, cloudy sky, sunglasses may actually be the answer to help you see. But only certain types.

This “urban legend” has been making the rounds of the internet for years. The first recorded version was a viral 2006 email that if you can’t see driving in the rain, “just put on your SUNGLASSES (any model will do).” The same email said, “We are not sure why it is so effective,” and claimed a “Police friend” recommended it, “even driving at night.” And while the basic premise is correct, the above three claims aren’t true. Not any sunglasses model will do, the way it works isn’t mysterious, and no–you absolutely shouldn’t try this at night. But here’s the truth.

1- Only polarized sunglasses help driving in the rain

First of all, only polarized sunglasses will help you see during a rainy day. So if sunglasses are advertised as “UV400,” they’re just tinted plastic and will make the dark day appear darker. Even if they are marketed as “anti glare” this just means they have a coating on the side that faces your eyes so light shining over your shoulder doesn’t bounce into your eyes.

If you want sunglasses that will help out while driving through a daytime rainstorm, opt for truly polarized sunglasses. Do note that polarized sunglasses can make it hard to read LCD displays on your car dashboard.

2- We know why sunglasses help in the rain

Despite what some viral posts and emails have claimed, the fact that polarized sunglasses help you see while driving on a rainy day isn’t at all mysterious. It’s because of how they block light. One reason it can be difficult to see on a rainy day is that the water droplets—both in the air and clinging to your windshield—reflect and refract light. Your pupils try to adapt by dilating, and it becomes very difficult to see the road beyond these bright points.

Polarized lenses are coated in such a way that they block light reflected off a horizontal surface. Why is this useful? Because when you’re outdoors it’s often light reflected off a body of water, snowy ground, or a paved surface that is the brightest. Once you block out this light, there’s still enough to see but no overwhelming bright spots. Know what other light is greatly reduced by polarized lenses? You guessed it, light reflecting off droplets of water on your windshield—or drops hanging in the air.

3- Driving with sunglasses at night is unsafe

Finally, the email claimed that wearing sunglasses helps while driving through the rain at night. And this just isn’t true. Though headlights bouncing off raindrops on your windshield can be obnoxiously bright, and polarized lenses would help with this, they would make the rest of the road too dark to see.

Curious how exactly polarized sunglasses block reflected light? You can see the science illustrated in the video below:

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Staff Writer

Henry Cesari

Henry Cesari joined MotorBiscuit in 2021 and brings his deep interest in vintage cars, trucks, and motorcycles to the site. Having restored his first classic car at just 16 years old, Henry has wrenched on everything from overland campers to Japanese motorcycles and even pre-war Bugattis. Henry is also an avid attendee at local car shows and genuinely enjoys connecting with fellow auto enthusiasts.

Henry earned a Bachelor’s in Anthropology and English from the University of Vermont. He has since incorporated his love of the written word with his admiration of classic cars. While Henry is interested in vintage cars, he believes the golden age of cars is yet to come. He is confident journalists will play an important role in this revolution by exposing the industry as it is now and envisioning its possible future.