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Article #186: Vision Care and Safe Driving

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As a minimum legal requirement to ensure and contact lenses should be kept
safe driving, drivers should display scrupulously clean to ensure a clear
visual acuity of 20/40 with or without field of vision.
corrective lenses. Restrictions * Wearers of contact lenses, and
generally apply to those with acuity sufferers from hay fever, should also
between 20/41 and 20/70, limiting them to keep a spare pair of glasses in the auto.
driving in daylight hours only. Switching to a pair of glasses when
A 120 degree wide field of view is the travelling long distances offers some
minimum legal requirement for peripheral respite for tired, watery eyes.
vision in order to qualify for a license * If you need to wear prescription
without restrictions (in some states the glasses to drive, never replace them with
threshold is higher at 140 degrees). non-prescription sunglasses. It is
This is with or without corrective illegal and does not make for safe
lenses. driving. Instead, buy a pair of
If you are a wearer of telescopic lenses, prescription sunglasses, or use clip-on
a useful driving aid for sufferers of lenses over your prescription lenses. A
diminished visual acuity whose peripheral cautionary note: You should make sure
vision remains virtually intact, you will that your clip-on lenses are suitable for
be subject to special requirements and plastic lenses.
additional testing. * In adverse weather conditions where
Telescopic lens wearers must include the visability is poor, such as heavy rain or
ability to locate stationary and moving snow, never wear tinted glasses. This
objects within the telescopic field, and rule is equally applicable to tinted
the ability to adjust successfully to motorbike helmets.
changes in light levels, especially Safe driving also means "vision care" or
during inclement weather. Excessive essential checks for your auto. Don't
contrast and glare sensitivity also restrict your view by putting
compromises safe driving. non-essential stickers on the windows of
As a responsible driver, then, you should your vehicle, or hanging objects such as
be aware of breaking the law if you fail dolls or dice where they might prove a
to meet these visual standards every time distraction.
you switch on your engine. In Keep your windscreen clean and free from
particular, if you do need to wear scratches, and your lights adjusted to
corrective lenses to meet the driving provide good illumination without causing
visual standard, it is vital you wear glare. Protect your eyes from the glare
them at all times. It is a good idea to of other vehicles by looking slightly to
keep a spare pair of glasses in the auto the left of oncoming traffic at night.
so that you are never tempted to drive Temporary blindness caused by glare can
illegally without them. be particularly dangerous.
Let's now look more closely at drivers' Safe driving means showing continuing
eyewaer as this aspect of vision care responsibility. As we have seen,
contributes significantly to safe restrictions can apply to drivers where
driving. Here are some important vision is impaired from cataracts,
guidelines: glaucoma, diabetes or any other relevant
* The current fashion is for narrower, medical conditions which constitute a
thin-rimmed or rimless glasses. These notifiable disability.
are ideal for driving as they allow There are two key points to note here.
maximum peripheral vision (They are not First, if you are involved in an accident
so good, however, for cutting out the and are subsequently found to have an
glare of reflected ultraviolet rays from undeclared visual impairment, your
snow and sand). insurance cover could be at risk.
* At a reasonable cost, anti-reflective Secondly, and more reassuringly, having a
coatings can be applied to any lenses notifiable visual impairment does not
helping to reduce glare and enhance automatically preclude your being allowed
nighttime vision. to drive. Limited-period licenses,
* Glasses with plastic lenses are safer issued to keep a regular check on your
and lighter. A plastic bridge helps condition, and licenses restricting
cushion the nose if wearing metal frames. driving to daytime only, should be viewed
* Keep a lens cloth in your auto along as the ultimate safeguard of both vision
with your spare pair of glasses. Glasses care and safe driving.






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