This study compared the performance of 40 monocular and 40 binocular tractor-trailer drivers on measures of both visual and driving performance. On the visual measures, the monocular drivers were significantly deficient in contrast sensitivity, visual acuity under lowillumination and glare, and binocular depth perception. They were not significantly deficient in static or dynamic visual acuity, visual field of individual eyes, or glare recovery. Driving measures of visual search, lane keeping, clearance judgment, gap judgment, hazarddetection, and information recognition showed no differences between monocular and binocular drivers. Monocular drivers were poorer than binocular drivers only in sign reading distance in both daytime and nighttime driving. This decrement correlated significantly with the binocular depth perception measure. There were large individual differences within each group for most of the visual and driving performance measures. It was concluded that monocular drivers have some significant reductions in selected visual capabilities and in certaindriving functions dependent on these abilities, compared with binocular drivers. However, monocular drivers are not significantly worsethan binocular drivers in the safety of most day-to-day driving functions. Implications of these findings and the large individual differences within each group are discussed.(A).
Abstract