Impact of Age-Related Vision Changes on Driving

Abstract

Aging leads to impaired visual function, which can affect driving—a very visually demanding task—and has a direct impact on an individual’s quality of life if their license is withdrawn. This study examined the associations between age-related vision changes and simulated driving performance. To this end, we attempted to determine the most significant visual parameters in terms of evaluating elderly drivers’ eyesight. Twenty-one younger drivers (aged 25–40) were compared to 21 older drivers (aged 56–71). Study participants were assessed for visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, halos, and intraocular straylight, which causes veiling luminance on the retina and degrades vision. Driving performance was evaluated using a driving simulator. The relationships between simulated driving performance and the visual parameters tested were examined with correlation analyses and linear regression models. Older drivers presented impairment in most visual parameters (p < 0.05), with straylight being the most significantly affected (we also measured the associated effect size). Older drivers performed significantly worse (p < 0.05) in the simulator test, with a markedly lower performance in lane stability. The results of the multiple linear regression model evidenced that intraocular straylight is the best visual parameter for predicting simulated driving performance (R2 = 0.513). Older drivers have shown significantly poorer results in several aspects of visual function, as well as difficulties in driving simulator performance. Our results suggest that the non-standardized straylight evaluation could be significant in driver assessments, especially at the onset of age-related vision changes.

Deterioration of binocular vision after alcohol intake influences driving performance

“…We multiplied the z-scores of some variables by -1, so that for all the variables the more positive the score, the greater the visual deterioration and the worse the visual performance. Z-scores have been widely used 34 , 46 – 48 and are a measurement of how many standard deviations an individual value is away from the group mean.…”

Aggressive Driving Behaviours in Cannabis Users. The Influence of Consumer Characteristics

“…The simulator is designed to reproduce the characteristics of the different environments as accurately as possible, but it cannot capture the dynamism of real-life driving. Nevertheless, this simulator has been used successfully in previous studies [ 41 , 43 ] and there is evidence to support the relative validity of driving simulators with respect to actual driving [ 69 , 70 ]. Simulators mean work can be conducted under safe conditions and in fully controlled situations, which would be impossible in real-world scenarios, and they are hugely important in studies like this one for ethical reasons.…”

“…The study employed the SIMAX DRIVING SIMULATOR v.4.0.8 BETA (SimaxVirt S.L., Pamplona, Spain). This driving simulator, successfully used in previous studies [ 41 , 42 , 43 ], is fixed-based and provides a 180° field of view. The route comprised two main sections (dual-carriageway and mountain road) which totalled 10.5 km.…”

“…As an objective quantification of the driving style, we also computed the Speeding Index. This index was obtained as in previous works for computing overall driving performance scores [ 12 , 43 , 50 ], by calculating the z-scores for each driving variable and averaging these to obtain a general index for each participant. On this occasion, a positive value for all of them indicated a more aggressive driving style or greater risk while driving.…”

Factors Influencing Contrast Sensitivity Function in Eyes with Mild Cataract

“…Cataracts have been reported to notably influence driving performance in older subjects, and that the OSI has high predictive power when it comes to simulated driving performance in older drivers [12]. Likewise, straylight has been shown to be the best parameter for predicting simulated driving performance in older drivers [13]. It has also been known that visual functions apart from visual acuity may be more associated with visual complaints that impact the quality of life.…”