My first new car, a 1971 MGB-GT, had no glove box. Odd that it continues to be called a glove box since few people drive with driving gloves on. My “B” had virtually no storage space anywhere readily at hand. So my string back gloves (pictured on the cover of this month’s L&T… yippee) usually ended up somewhere on the passenger side floor and my sunglasses invariably found their way onto the driver’s seat awaiting the crash contest with my butt. Since the glasses always lost I spent considerable time and money replacing them. So I thought my self quite the expert in the evolving technology of sunglasses specific to the task of driving.

Historically my favorites were Serengeti Drivers. These days I’m driving in Persols now fitted with Drivewear Lenses from Younger, Rx-ed by our own Mark Shupnick and also featured on our L&T cover.

My current car (leave me alone Jackie, I LIKE constantly saying the name of my car), a Chevy Malibu Maxx SS, has seemingly infinite storage areas (and an equal amount of cup holders should anyone DARE try having a spill-able beverage in my Maxx) and I intend to fill those nooks with the absolutely brilliant drive-specific eyewear recommended by author/optician Barry Santini in his outstanding “Let’s Go For A Drive” L&T feature.

This story needs to be shared with your patients. Make copies of it. Preach its teach. Engage your customers in the importance of having the best vision acuity possible when driving and do them the favor of optimizing their SAFE driving experience.

Guess it’s appropriate that this is our annual sport eyewear issue and “driving” has always been my favorite sport. I only wish I had Santini’s story in hand with the current lens technology back in my younger days of actually driving in motorsport events. I’m still using the same old driving gloves from those days but my latest eyegear is state-of-the-art and you need to take all of your patients on that road trip.

As a closing (fan) note, this month’s story on mountain biker/model Niki Gudex is a first-time cover feature by assistant editor Melissa Arkin. Niki is quite the rider and Melissa is quite the writer. Both are admirable pros.