Vision and driving

There’s a strong relationship between good driver vision and road safety. Most of the critical decisions a driver makes are based on sight.

Around 20% of drivers have a vision defect that could affect driver safety without good optometric care.

Vision skills for driving

There are 7 vision skills that are vital for safe driving. If you’re unsure about any of these, visit your optometrist for a check-up before you drive.

Distance acuity

This is the ability to focus and see clearly for long distances. It enables drivers to see things and react with enough time to avoid dangerous situations. Distance acuity decreases as speed increases.

Depth perception

This gives a driver the ability to judge distances between moving objects. Good depth perception is particularly important when overtaking. It diminishes as speed increases.

Field of vision

This is the ability to see things out of the corner of the eye. Good field of vision allows a driver to see traffic approaching from side roads, or a pedestrian beside the road, without looking away from the road ahead. Field of vision is usually 180 degrees, but decreases to 40 degrees at 100 kilometres per hour.

Muscle balance

Good muscle balance ensures that both eyes point simultaneously at the same object. It complements depth perception and field of vision. Tiredness, alcohol and drugs can upset muscle balance.

Accommodation

Accommodation is the ability to change focus quickly from a distant object to a close object. For example, from the road ahead to the vehicle’s dashboard and back to the road ahead.

Night vision

Night vision is the ability to see in low light conditions, such as beyond the range of the vehicle’s headlights, and recover quickly from the glare of oncoming headlights. Night vision deteriorates rapidly in drivers over 40 years of age.

Colour vision

Colour vision allows a driver to recognise a variety of colours, so they can distinguish traffic light signals.

Maintaining good vision

You can maintain good vision and improve road safety by following these tips:

• Get regular vision examinations.
• Wear prescription glasses when you drive, if required.
• Don’t drive at night if your night vision is poor.
• Use properly adjusted and larger rear-vision mirrors or blind-spot mirrors to compensate for any reduced field of vision.
• Take extra care when overtaking if depth perception is a problem for you.
• Ensure the windscreen and window glass are clean and free of defects.
• Replace unserviceable windscreen wiper blades.
• Ensure the headlights are clean, serviceable and aimed correctly.
• Drive at a reduced speed to suit the conditions and visibility.
• Protect your eyes from ultraviolet radiation exposure.

Read more about eye protection from UV radiation when driving.