Sunglasses Leave Motorists in the Dark

Manchester, UK (PRWEB) May 19, 2009

As sunglasses return to the high street shelves for summer, motorists are being warned that dark tints could be hazardous when driving, according to Swinton, the UK's leading high street retailer of cheap car insurance. The European Standard for sunglasses states that a Light Transmittance Factor (LTF) below 15% should not be worn when driving. A low LTF causes problems when driving from bright conditions into a shaded area and be especially dangerous when entering into a tunnel as it could result in a loss in vision.

Swinton is warning motorists to check the LTF level of sunglasses before making a purchase, and if buying for use while driving, never purchase any with an LTF of 15% or below.

Steve Chelton, Insurer Development Manager for Swinton car insurance, said: "When buying sunglasses most people are only concerned with how they look, and rarely check the UV protection or Light Transmittance Factor. If using sunglasses for driving, it is extremely important that they are not so dark that they could impair visibility of the road.

"According to European Standards, any sunglasses that are too dark to drive in should be clearly labelled as "unsuitable for driving" so motorists must always check for this when making a purchase."

For more information contact Michael Travers or Anoushka Foster at Manchester PR agency SKV Communications on 0161 838 7770.
About Swinton

• With 580 branches nationwide Swinton is the UK's largest high street insurance retailer
• Unlike many other companies in the financial services industry, Swinton is committed to keeping its branches open for business, and part of the community

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