Wearing wrong sunglasses as you drive could land you with £2,500 fine, AA warns

Wearing the wrong sunglasses could land drivers with a £2,500 fine, motoring experts have warned.

So it's a good idea to check the kind of shades you wear before you set off for a drive you could be hit with of nine points on your driving licence and a fine, MyLondon reports.

The AA says sunglasses are produced in different levels of shades, and if a driver is caught wearing sunglasses which are too dark they could risk a fine, especially if they're struggling to see clearly or have impaired vision.

But people could also be fined if they are not wearing sunglasses while driving.

If someone happens to be driving in strong sunlight, which puts drivers in the risk of being dazzled by bright light, it could lead to a fine because they were not taking proper precautions.

Drivers could face a fine or receive penalty points on their licence if their sunglasses are too dark (Getty Images)

MyLondon says the issue is raised clearly by the Highway Code where drivers are warned they must immediately stop driving and park up if they are "dazzled by bright sunlight".

And if they fail to this and take their eyes off the road due to bright light, they could be hit with a fine and a penalty.

The AA website states: “Sunglasses sold for general use can be too dark for driving in. Plus, fashion frames could obscure your peripheral vision if they aren't the right style, so it's best to choose your shades carefully.”

It recommends choosing one of two types of sunglasses - fixed or variable.

Motoring organisations advise getting a pair of sunglasses that reacts to visible rather than UV light (Getty Images/Tetra images RF)

Fixed sunglasses are usually at the same level of tint regardless of the amount of light, meaning as long as drivers are avoiding wearing glasses which are too dark, then they should be safe.

Variable lenses react to the light that is coming in, changing the density of their tint when exposed to certain kinds of light.

Motoring organisations advise getting a pair that reacts to visible rather than UV light, as windscreens filter out UV.

Wearing the wrong sunglasses could land drivers with a £2,500 fine (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

In the UK it is a legal obligation to have sunglasses label their filter level in order to find out if they are safe to drive in. If a filter has a relatively high number, then it means that they are less safe to use whilst driving.

The AA states: “Due to the light levels within the car, filter category 2 lenses which transmit between 18 per cent and 43 per cent of light are recommended for daytime driving.

“Filter category 4 lenses only transmit between 3per cent and 8pc of light and are not suitable for driving at any time.”