Good vision – good driver

Abstract

Vision is a complex act that allows the visual analyzer to perceive and analyse objects in the environment. The teams of two eye clinics conducted a “good vision-good driver” awareness campaign in combination with a survey. In most countries in the world, drivers over the age of 65 are required to renew their licences every 2 or 3 years. The European Commission wants car drivers over 70 to prove their ability every 5 years. The aim was to analyze the relationship between patients’ visual performance concerning their self-reported driving and their subjective general health. The survey was conducted through a direct survey at St. Nikolay Chudotvorets Eye Clinic Eye Clinics from 1.06.2021 to 31.06.2022. For the period, 103 patients were surveyed, 84 male and 19 – female. The group of 50–70-year-olds was the most numerous. Uncorrected vision equal to or less than 0.3 was present in 45.6% of all 206 eyes. Almost all respondents drove a car, only 3 were not drivers, and most (50.9%) had no difficulty driving. More than 42% of the respondents found driving difficult only at night, and 6.8% had difficulty always. There is an overlap in the results of the questions of whether the patient had had a traffic accident – positive in 13.7% and whether they had ever had a stroke. The ability to drive is a multifactorial process in which vision plays an undeniable role. Visual acuity reflects the need for correction in the driving licence. The present research proves the need because it shows patients with poor vision driving and not at a young age who overestimate their general and visual objective condition.