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Driving any type of vehicle is a complica-
ted task and a test for many of the driver’s
physical and mental capabilities. Although
driving could be an automatic activity at
certain times, safe driving always requires
full attention and response.
Contrary to what many believe, driving re-
quires quality vision. That is, there should
be a balance among the different visual
fields (sharp vision, vision field, depth...).
Of the information that we require for dri-
ving, 90% is perceived through our eyes
and, accordingly, it is essential to have
good vision since most of the decisions and
reactions depend on it. Nevertheless, one
out of three drivers could have better eye-
sight, although they be unaware of it, and
5% of drivers (one out of 20) has very poor
eyesight but does not know it.
Despite the importance of having good
vision for driving, 25.7% of Spaniards bet-
ween 18 and 30 years of age have never
gone to have their eyes checked. That is
why it it’s important to go for an eye check-
up every year to detect any type of problem.
Any eye alteration or disease can lead to
worse vision and increases the chances
of being involved in a road accident. It is
essential to have the sharpest eye vision
possible since the reaction time must be as
short as possible.
Safe driving requires optimal eyesight con-
ditions, such as:
•
Sharp vision.
•
Field of vision.
•
Binocular vision
•
Colour vision.
•
The ability to see in special situations,
such as when there is limited light, gla-
re, etc.
•
Perception and attention as compo-
nents based on other visual capabilities.
In all cases, the risk increases in the elderly
and when associated with ophthalmologi-
cal pathologies. The most frequent causes
of alterations of the visual field (glaucoma,
alterations of the retina, and cataracts)
combined with the natural aging process,
are the risk factors with that are the most
to blame for traffic accidents mainly when
driving is during adverse traffic conditions,
dim lights, or when suffering from fatigue.
The importance of good
night vision
Driving at night requires greater visual
effort which implies driving when the con-
ditions are not optimal for good vision. In
fact, the proportion of mortal accidents in-
creases significantly at night when, among
other factors, visual sharpness decreases
by 70% and the sense of depth is seven
times less. That is, our capacity to detect
objects and their distance diminishes. This
is the reason why 86% of Spaniards prefer
driving during the day in comparison with
13% who would rather drive at night.
Speed
External factors are not the only ones that
can affect our eyesight. In fact, speed is
one of the most frequent causes of deaths
on the road since, the greater the speed,
the greater the need to have good vision.
Driving at the required speed limits is not
merely a whimsical decision since it affects
many driving elements, jeopardizing safe-
ty behind the wheel when we drive at an
excessive speed. It is very important to be
able to see as rapidly as possible any ele-
ment or situation occurring on the road sin-
ce this will give us more time to react in the
event of any unforeseen event.
According to the report by the Official As-
sociation of Opticians and Optometrists,
the visual field diminishes by 75 degrees
as speed increases during driving. This is
known as the kinetic vision field. For exam-
ple, at a speed of 35 km/hr, the field of vi-
sion is 100 degrees, however, if we increa-
se speed to up to 100 km/h, it is reduced
by 30 degrees.
Tiredness
Another factor that has an impact on good
vision is tiredness. Although many official
campaigns tell us that it is necessary to rest
every two hours, few drivers follow this re-
commendation. We should not forget that
it could take from one to three seconds
from the moment that we see an obstacle,
perceive it, and react. Driving carefully, even
though it may seem mechanical to us, re-
quires an extra bodily effort and, if do not
pause to rest, our reactions slowdown. Ta-
90% of the
information that we
need when driving is
perceived through
our eyes