Q. What causes night driving difficulty?

Night driving difficulty in Seoul drivers is most often caused by uncorrected refractive error, early cataracts, or corneal irregularities that scatter light and produce glare and halos around headlights and streetlights, especially along wet or poorly lit roads in Yeongdeungpo, Guro, and Gasan.

Night Vision: Facts for Seoul Drivers

• ▸ Over 96% of Korean adults in their 20s–30s have some degree of myopia, a leading contributor to night glare complaints.
• ▸ Korean clinical data shows up to 40% of patients report temporary halos after older-generation refractive surgery, a rate reduced with modern TransPRK technique.
• ▸ Contrast sensitivity naturally declines starting in the 40s, compounding night driving difficulty for commuters across Seoul.
• ▸ Reduced night visibility is a recognized contributing factor in nighttime collisions on ring roads near Guro and Gasan, according to Seoul traffic safety data.

Q. When should I see a doctor in Seoul?

• Glare or halos that make it hard to judge distance to oncoming cars
• Sudden worsening of night vision over weeks or months
• Night symptoms accompanied by eye pain, redness, or headache
• Difficulty reading road signs or license plates after dark despite a recent glasses update

Q. Why do headlights and streetlights suddenly look like they have halos around them?

Halos form when light scatters across an irregular or swollen cornea, or through an early cataract, spreading a single point of light into a blurred ring. This is common with high myopia, dry eye, and post-refractive-surgery corneas, and is one of the most frequent complaints among drivers commuting through Yeongdeungpo and Guro at night.

Q. Is night driving difficulty different from normal blurry vision?

Yes. Many patients see clearly during the day but struggle specifically after dusk because their pupils dilate in low light, letting more light scatter through uncorrected refractive errors or a hazy lens, which daytime pupil constriction otherwise masks.

Q. Can glasses alone fix night driving problems?

For many patients, an updated prescription with anti-reflective coating significantly reduces glare. However, if cataracts, keratoconus, or significant dry eye are contributing, glasses alone will not fully resolve the symptoms and further evaluation is needed.

Q. Does LASIK or TransPRK cause night vision problems?

Some patients experience temporary halos in the weeks after any corneal refractive procedure while the eye heals. At Nunehim Eye Center, we use TransPRK and 2-Day LASEK, which preserve corneal tissue and are associated with lower rates of night vision disturbance compared to older techniques.

Q. Are OK lenses (orthokeratology) helpful for night driving?

OK lenses reshape the cornea overnight to improve daytime vision without surgery, but because they must be fitted and monitored carefully, poorly fitted lenses can sometimes worsen night glare. Regular follow-up at a specialized clinic is essential.

Q. How is night driving difficulty diagnosed?

We use corneal topography, pupil size measurement, contrast sensitivity testing, and a dilated eye exam to determine whether the cause is refractive, corneal, or lens-related, and to rule out early cataract or dry eye disease.

Q. Where can I get evaluated for night driving difficulty near Yeongdeungpo or Guro?

Nunehim Eye Center in Seoul offers comprehensive night vision evaluations with Korean and English consultations, serving patients across Yeongdeungpo, Guro, Gasan, and Gwanak.

📍 Visit Nunehim Eye Center — Guro, Seoul

Convenient access from Guro, Gasan, Gwanak & Dongjak. Near Guro Digital Complex Station (Line 2).