This study aims to address several issues: what impact does eye disease have on driving behaviour, is the impact of eye disease on driving mediated by awareness, and what compensatory behaviours do drivers with eye disease display compared to age-matched controls? Participants were elderly people with glaucoma who were currently driving. Driving related information was collected with questionnaires included the Activities of Daily Vision Scale, Driver Behaviour Questionnaire and a Driving Exposure questionnaire. Visual function tests included visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, visual fields and tests of glare sensitivity. Driving performance was assessed on a closed road circuit. Data collected to date indicates little correlation between self-rated ability and actual performance. Drivers with visual impairment perform worse at driving tasks such as obstacle avoidance and sign detection. It is envisaged that this study will guide policy decisions concerning advice for drivers with eye disease. (Author/publisher) For the covering entry of this conference, please see ITRD abstract no. E211985.
Abstract