AARP Hearing Center
The fitness of your mind and body must work hand in hand in order to drive safely. Follow these tips in order to keep yourself sharp, healthy, and prepared to drive.
Good Vision
As you probably already know, the use of vision is key to all aspects of driving, but you may not realize how complex vision actually is. Good far and near vision is needed to identify road hazards, read signs and view your dashboard.
Visual acuity is how clearly or accurately you can see. There are many conditions that affect visual acuity, especially as we age. Here are a few vision conditions to keep an eye out for:
- Color Blindness & Cataracts—may cause problems when identifying traffic signals or brake lights of other cars while driving.
- Decreased Contrast Sensitivity—the visual ability to see objects that are not outlined clearly or do not stand out from their background.
- Difficulty seeing pedestrians and road signs, especially in poorly lit roads or in fog.
- Decreased Useful Field of View—refers to the amount of visual information that can be processed in a brief glance using both eyes.
- Ability to process information slows with age, particularly for situations in which the environment is very complex, e.g., a busy roadway.
- Decreased Depth Perception & Peripheral Vision— the ability to judge the distance of objects in relation to ourselves and the ability to see outside your immediate field of view.
- Both tend to decrease with age and are essential in everyday driving situations, such as judging the distance and speed of approaching cars when merging or seeing a car approaching you from either side.
With that in mind, it is incredibly important to get regular eye exams to keep you sharp and ready for the road.
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