Driving and Vision: Improving Safety Behind the Wheel

Post on 6th November 2025

Author: Kevin Gutsell President of ABDO

For many people, driving represents independence and quality of life. It enables mobility, employment, and social connection. However, safe driving depends heavily on vision. As eye care professionals, optometrists are uniquely positioned to educate patients, identify risks, and recommend solutions that preserve and possibly enhance and improve both vision and road safety.

Clear vision is essential for safe driving. It allows motorists to make accurate judgments about distance, respond quickly to potential hazards, and correctly interpret road signs and traffic signals. When vision is impaired, the risk of accidents increases significantly—not only for the driver but also for passengers, pedestrians, and other road users.

Research highlights this concern. Poor vision is a contributing factor in many road traffic accidents, which is why UK driving regulations include strict requirements for visual standards and, in fact, there is likely to be a strengthening of these vision standards in the near future. According to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), almost one in three drivers in the UK report feeling very uncomfortable driving at night, and around 40% of all accidents occur after dark.

Challenges such as glare from headlights, reflections from digital screens, and reduced contrast sensitivity become far more pronounced in low-light conditions. These difficulties are particularly acute during the darker months, from late autumn through early spring, when shorter daylight hours increase exposure to night driving.

Driving requires:

• Recognition of traffic signs, signals and hazards.
• Monitoring of peripheral activity such as cyclists, pedestrians or merging traffic.
• Judgment of speed, depth, and distance.
• Adaptability to variable light and weather conditions.

Over the last decade or so, much has changed for drivers. Modern drivers face a growing number of new visual challenges on the road. Satellite navigation systems are typically positioned in the centre of the dashboard, drawing attention away from the road ahead. Augmented reality (AR) guidance systems add another layer of visual information for drivers to process. Vehicle design has also changed: many modern cars are equipped with high-intensity discharge (HID) or LED headlights, which are considerably brighter than traditional halogen lamps and can cause significant glare. At the same time, vehicles are faster, accelerating and braking more abruptly, while dashboards now display a greater volume of information in smaller, more detailed formats. Adding to these factors is the rise in SUVs and 4x4s, whose elevated headlight positioning can create additional visual strain for other road users. Never has it been more important to discuss all of the options available, which will take many factors into account including prescription, lens design, coating or frame fit.

Visual skills in driving

When discussing driving as part of the eye test, it is important to highlight the specific visual skills involved:

• Visual acuity – Fundamental for reading road signs, interpreting signals, and identifying hazards at distance.
• Peripheral vision – Enables detection of movement outside central focus, crucial for situational awareness.
• Contrast sensitivity – Key for recognising objects against low-contrast backgrounds, particularly in rain or fog.
• Night vision – Increasingly important for older drivers, who may struggle with headlight glare and reduced low-light vision.

It is during the eye examination and the hand over to opticians that the discussions can emphasise any need for glasses, when the patient drives and what specifically can improve vision during the time spent behind the wheel. Very few people will expect specialist designs and coatings which benefit drivers.

The role of age

Vision naturally changes with age, often beginning in the early forties when the need for help with reading and using the computer starts to be noticed. Conditions that can compromise driving ability include:

• Presbyopia – Difficulty focusing on dashboards and near tasks.
• Cataracts – Reduced contrast sensitivity and increased glare sensitivity.
• Glaucoma – Loss of peripheral vision, impairing awareness of surrounding traffic.
• Macular Degeneration – Central vision loss, affecting the ability to see detail.

Optometrists are in a strong position to educate everyone on the importance of comprehensive eye examinations and timely referrals when necessary.

How Optometrist can support safer driving

Optometrists have a direct influence on patient safety by ensuring vision correction is both accurate and tailored to driving needs. Key areas of support include:

1. Regular eye examinations and appropriate lens dispensing
   Ensuring everyone achieve their best corrected vision is fundamental. They should be advised to update prescriptions regularly and wear corrective lenses consistently when driving.
2. Lens technology recommendations
   • Anti-reflective coatings to reduce glare, especially for night driving.
   • Photochromic or polarised lenses for patients sensitive to bright sunlight. Although some photochromics do not darken quickly or go dark enough.
   • Specialist driving lenses designed to enhance contrast and reduce reflections.
3. Patient Education
   Clear conversations about the impact of vision on driving can motivate people to prioritise regular check-ups. Explaining how even small visual impairments can affect reaction times often resonates strongly.

Technology and driving vision

While vehicle safety systems and autonomous driving technology are advancing, human visual performance remains central to road safety. Opticians should continue to emphasise the importance of good vision correction, even as technology reduces some of the cognitive demands of driving.

Drivers of all ages can benefit from the professional advice provided during an eye examination, irrespective of whether a prescription is issued, updated or deemed unnecessary. Those who report difficulties with night driving, glare or bright sunlight may be effectively supported through the use of anti-reflection coatings, tinted lenses, polarised lenses and/or specifically designed lenses for an individual wearer. A comprehensive understanding of a their visual experience under both daytime and nighttime driving conditions is essential to ensure accurate recommendations and the most appropriate prescription. It must also be mentioned that certain lens tints, whether due to colour or how dark they are, are not legal for driving.

Spectacle lens manufacturers, experts in coatings and specialists in light ‘control’ can enhance the driving experience and generally improve awareness both within, and more importantly, clarity of vision outside of the vehicle.

There are a few elements of clarification required in order to draw conclusions on what lens your optometrist will recommend. For example, considerations of any prescription change, changes in driving habit, clinical changes, perhaps a new vehicle and any occupation which may result in more or less driving.

Often, lens designs and new coatings can be beneficial now to drivers so do not wait until your next eye examination to understand the benefits of new lenses.

Conclusion

Driving is more than a convenience—it is independence. For opticians, supporting safe driving through accurate vision correction, education and proactive care is our professional responsibility. By addressing the visual demands of driving directly and recommending appropriate optical solutions, while fostering a culture of regular eye care, we can all play a vital role in keeping roads safer.

Scrivens Opticians in association with Nikon.