Tips for Older Drivers with Vision Problems

Susan Frissell

To learn more about driving and the mature adult, we accessed the web site for Lighthouse International (www.lighthouse.org) where we familiarized ourselves with the results of some original research conducted by the Arlene R. Gordon Research Institute. Lighthouse International is a leading resource worldwide on vision impairment and vision rehabilitation, founded in New York in 1905. It is a not-for-profit organization that depends on contributions from individuals, foundations and corporations.

Among other important information found on Lighthouse International’s web site, we found the following tips for older drivers with vision problems.

1. If you’re 60 years of age or older, you are driving with only about one-third of the light you had when you were 20 years old. This is due to changes occurring within the eye, of which we are generally unaware.

2. Older drivers cannot process and respond to visual information as quickly and efficiently as when younger

3. Driving under the influence of some medications can dramatically diminish an older person’s ability to react to unexpected road hazards.

4. Nighttime driving, which typically involves exposure to bright, fleeting glare, presents a particular challenge to older drivers. Therefore, extra caution is needed regarding the decision to get behind the wheel at night.

5. To minimize glare exposure when driving at night, do not look directly at the headlights of oncoming vehicles. Instead, direct your gaze down the road, toward the right side of the lane in which you are driving.

6. Older drivers require more time to adjust to sudden changes in light level such as when one enters a darkened tunnel from bright sunlight. It helps somewhat to wear a pair of "flip-up/down sunglasses" which allow you to view through the sunglasses for a few minutes while approaching a tunnel. Then flip the glasses up and out of the way on entering the entrance to the tunnel. "Wrap-around" sunglasses offer the same advantage and fit over your prescription eyeglasses, but can easily be removed upon entering the tunnel.

7. Cataracts can seriously interfere with driving performance, even if the decline in one’s ability to read a chart in the doctor’s office is minimal.

8. If you have particular vision problems, plan your travel to minimize the impact of any visual limitations. When possible, drive in familiar locations and avoid driving at night, in bad weather, and during the busy rush hours.

Copyright 2002. Susan Frissell. Women With Wheels. All Rights Reserved.