Driving at night is often one of the most rigorous challenges as we grow older, putting the true quality of our eyesight to the test.
This may sound melodramatic, but any small change to our vision can result in catastrophic consequences on the road. When we drive at 60 miles per hour, which is actually 88 feet per second, a one-second impairment in vision can mean the difference between life and death.
In America, the most common cause of impaired night vision is cataracts, a clouding of the lens over the eye. Just as everyone eventually develops gray hair, we all develop cataracts. Most individuals begin to develop cataracts in their 40s or early 50s.
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The most common initial symptom is impaired night vision while driving, which causes a lack of confidence. An additional and equally compelling symptom is the debilitating sensitivity to the glare from oncoming headlights. Unfortunately, there is no optimal angle or position for the driver to sit to avoid the glare because of two key factors: First, oncoming headlights from trucks vs. SUVs vs. minivans vs. passenger cars all are at different heights. If every single vehicle on the road were the exact same height, then there would be appropriate driver adjustments. But as drivers, we all face oncoming headlights from dozens of different vehicles, all with different heights, as well as different distances between the headlights. Second, as we drive, not only are we moving in our vehicle, but the oncoming headlights emanate from vehicles that initially are far away and then rapidly approach us and eventually pass us. This factor also creates a profound difference in angle and magnitude of the glare.
There is a temporary solution to minimizing the glare: progressive lenses. The newer, high tech progressive lenses enhance driving vision dramatically. Here’s why: During daylight hours, your pupil may be three or four millimeters. However, at nighttime, in order to enable more light to enter the eye through the pupil opening, the brain instructs the pupil to physiologically dilate to 8 or 9 or 10 mm. Most progressive lenses are constructed with a narrow “corridor” in the center of the lens through which we can see. This narrow corridor becomes a significant hindrance at nighttime, especially with driving, because with the dilated pupil, the light rays not only enter through the progressive lens corridor, but additionally on both sides of the corridor, creating distortion, blur and overall diminished vision. The newer types of progressive lenses have a far wider corridor, which helps with all activities of daily living, including walking or driving at night. In my opinion, they are the equivalent to driving on a six-lane, well-lit highway vs. a dark, two-lane road with older-model glasses.
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You can add an additional layer of glare protection by ordering glasses with Crizal lenses. This lens material tremendously decreases glare, haze and scattering of light rays, thereby enhancing vision dramatically. Plus, the Crizal lens resists smudges and scratches, also serving to enhance quality of vision, particularly at night. Though pricier than other lenses, the enhanced vision provided is an investment in the quality of your vision.
The ultimate solution to cataracts is surgery, a five-minute outpatient procedure that can cure the No. 1 cause of night vision driving problems. But until your cataracts are truly disrupting your life, there are other steps to keep safe on the roads.
In addition to high-tech progressive lenses, keeping your eyeglasses prescriptions up-to-date is crucial. As cataracts progress, glasses prescriptions will change, resulting in increasingly blurry and out-of-focus vision. With an updated prescription, visibility on the roads improves markedly and can help with everything — from reading street signs to gauging distance between cars.
Aside from cataracts, there are a few other, rarer, causes of vision problems that impair nighttime driving. Macular degeneration, diabetes (especially after treatment for diabetic retinopathy) and retinitis pigmentosa are all diseases that have been implicated in decreased nighttime and peripheral vision — both of which can severely hamper safe driving.
[See: Easy Ways to Protect Your Aging Brain.]
Bottom line: If you’re noticing that you’re having trouble driving at night, it’s crucial to schedule an appointment with your ophthalmologist. With the right prescription and better quality lenses, your night vision will improve, as well your confidence.
And improved night vision may allow you to hit the brakes one second sooner, which translates into 88 feet. That distance is enough to prevent a calamity on the road and save your life.
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Coping With Impaired Night Vision While Driving originally appeared on usnews.com
