Seeing and Hearing

Good vision is important to safe driving. Hearing also contributes to knowing what’s happening in the driving environment. What happens as we age?

Medical conditions that affect our vision are more common as we get older. These conditions include cataracts, macular degeneration, glaucoma, etc.
The retina becomes less sensitive to light. More light makes it easier to see and drive, and older drivers require significantly more light.
Our ability to change our focus starts to slow down around age 40. A driver over the age of 40 can take at least a second longer to refocus than a younger driver takes (such as when looking up from the dash to the road ahead).
We become more sensitive to glare. A 55-year-old takes eight times longer to recover from glare than a 16-year-old.
Peripheral vision narrows and depth perception declines as we age. Depth perception is important – we use it to judge how fast other cars are moving.
Colours become more difficult to see – especially red, the colour of the brake lights of the car ahead that’s stopping!
Hearing becomes less acute as we age. About one third of people over 65 and three quarters of those over 75 have hearing problems.

Take action for safety

Book an appointment to have your eyes and ears tested if it’s been two years or more or you are experiencing difficulty.
Think about how you can modify your driving to help you stay safe behind the wheel. Having trouble with glare? Consider not driving at night. Noticing your peripheral vision is not what it used to be? Make sure you always turn your head and do a complete shoulder check when backing up, pulling out, turning or changing lanes.