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Tips for Older Drivers
The ability to drive a car and get around independently is essential for millions of people. While driving safely is a key concern for everyone, changes in the aging eye make it especially relevant for older adults.
If you are 60 years of age or over, 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 (such as yellowing of the lens and decreasing pupil size), that most people don't even realize have occurred. Also, as an older driver, you cannot process and respond to visual information as quickly and efficiently as you could when you were younger.
The following tips can make the driving experience much safer for the older driver:
- Have regular eye check-ups to maintain eye health and to ensure
that your ability to drive safely is not compromised by undetected
vision loss.
- Be aware that driving under the influence of some medications
can dramatically diminish your ability to react to unexpected road
hazards. Ask your doctor about the side effects of any medications
you're taking.
- Nighttime driving, which typically involves exposure to
bright, fleeting glare, presents a particular challenge to older
drivers. With this in mind, take extra caution regarding your decision
to get behind a wheel at night.
- 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 and toward the right side of the lane in which
you're driving.
- Older drivers require more time to adjust to sudden changes in
light level, such as when one enters a darkened tunnel from the bright
afternoon sunlight. You can partially solve this problem with a pair of
"flip-up/down sunglasses." Look through the sunglasses for a few
minutes while approaching a tunnel. Then flip them up and out of the
way on entering the tunnel. You can also use "wrap-around" sunglasses
that fit over the top of your prescription eyeglasses, but can be
removed easily upon entering a tunnel or other light-altering
situation.
- Cataracts can interfere seriously with driving performance,
even though they may only produce a small decline in one's ability to
read a chart in the doctor's office. If you're developing cataracts,
check with your eye doctor about whether or not it's time to have them
removed.
- 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 busy rush hours.
- Familiarize yourself with the vision requirements for holding
a driver's license where you live; the regulations vary greatly from
state to state.
- Consider speaking to an eyecare specialist, friend or family member about any concerns you may have related to driving.
If you're worried that a family member can no longer see well enough to drive, your first step should be to discuss the issue with the driver. In many instances, older drivers change their driving behaviors to compensate for vision changes -- you may be relieved to learn that your family member is aware of the problem and taking steps to ensure his or her safety. If your relative doesn't agree that there's a problem, try to convince him or her to discuss the issue with an eye doctor and, if it's acceptable, go along to the appointment yourself. Often, when both family members and a doctor express concern, a patient will heed the warning.
These tips are based on an established body of research, and on original research conducted by the Arlene R. Gordon Research Institute of Lighthouse International.