Maintaining optimal eyesight is crucial for safe driving, whether you are navigating winding rural roads or cruising on highways. To ensure your vision is road-ready, Clare O’Donnell, an optometrist and head of eye sciences and optometry at Optegra Eye Health Care, highlights key indicators that may affect your driving abilities.
O’Donnell emphasizes the importance of addressing any sudden changes in vision, especially vision loss, as it could signal a need for updated glasses or potentially a more serious underlying issue. Double vision and difficulty reading road signs until close proximity are also warning signs to watch out for.
Additionally, struggling with low light conditions, experiencing increased glare from headlights, and having trouble judging distances or staying in lanes can all impact driving performance. O’Donnell notes that fatigue or strain in the eyes after prolonged driving may indicate vision issues.
Driving with compromised vision can lead to severe consequences, including safety risks, potential accidents, fines, disqualification, or prosecution. Moreover, inadequate eyesight could invalidate insurance coverage. O’Donnell highlights that age-related eye conditions like cataracts can cause blurred vision and heightened glare, affecting night driving.
It is essential to monitor gradual changes in vision, as eye conditions can progress unnoticed over time, potentially falling below the required standards for driving. In the UK, drivers must be able to read a car number plate from 20 meters away with both eyes open, meeting specific visual acuity criteria.
Regular eye check-ups, at least once every two years, are recommended to maintain optimal vision standards for driving. Individuals with known vision-affecting conditions or those noticing changes should seek more frequent assessments. Visual field tests are also crucial to evaluate peripheral vision, a key aspect of safe driving.