Aging Vision and Driving:
When to Stop Driving?
A guest article by Orlin Sorensen of Rebuild Your Vision
 If, over the years, it's become harder for you to read road signs, distinguish between red and green traffic lights, or deal with the glare of oncoming cars at night - then we have both good new and bad news.
The good news is: you're not alone. According to US News & World Report, "The unavoidable reality, however, is that driving skills deteriorate as we age... and by 2030, according to US Census Bureau data cited by AAA, one in four drivers will be age 65 or older."
The bad news is that many states are revamping their vision requirements for older drivers in advance of the coming "gray wave" of Baby Boomers...
The Rules on Aging Drivers
Currently, driving regulations are decided on a state-by-state basis. Although the standard vision requirement for most states is 20/40 in at least one eye with or without eyeglasses, the crucial variable of how often that measurement is updated with the Department of Motor Vehicles is, well, all over the map.
Here are some examples:
- In Arizona, a lifetime license can be issued up to age 65, but applicants must come into a license office every 12 years to apply for a duplicate license and have their vision re-checked.
- In Florida (where the standard vision requirement is only 20/70 in at least one eye with or without eyeglasses, presumably because of that state's large elderly population), applicants may renew by mail twice if they have a clean driving record and may not undergo vision screening for a period of 18 years.
- In Iowa, initial and renewal drivers must take and pass a vision test to be licensed. The renewal cycle is every 4 years, up to age 70, when the renewal cycle is reduced to 2 years.
- In Vermont, only upon initial application for a driver's license (but not upon renewal) must a vision test be given.
Yet the new reality of not only a growing senior population, but also the stuttering economy, which is forcing many to put off retirement and keep working into their 70s, is forcing states to rethink the rules...
USA Today reports that "California is analyzing results of a pilot project in which drivers who failed an initial written or vision test were required to take additional tests, sometimes including an eye exam and a road test."
Further, "Maryland state law allows police, doctors, and residents, including relatives, to refer potentially unfit drivers to the Motor Vehicle Administration's Medical Advisory Board. Police refer about 700 people annually; about 60% of them are drivers over age 65."
In Maine, the interval between license renewals was shortened from six to four years after age 62 and a vision check is required with each renewal.
And a 2004 Florida law requiring that older drivers pass a vision test before getting their license renewed has helped cut the death rate among drivers 80 and older by 17%.
When to Stop Driving?
Of course, knowing when to give up driving is a sticky issue. The Bangor Daily News notes that "the big difference between the elderly and the rest of the population is that the elderly often do not realize their driving skills are deteriorating."
AAA has designed a program, "Roadwise Review: A Tool to Help Seniors Drive Safely Longer," that measures eight physical and mental abilities shown to be the strongest predictors of crash risk among older drivers and provides feedback to guide the user's decision about their ability to drive safely.
Of those eight, half relate to vision, including High-Contrast Visual Acuity, needed to identify pavement markings, as well as detect many types of hazards in or near the road, and Low-Contrast Visual Acuity, which is vital for driving in low-visibility conditions such as dusk, rain, or fog.
So the next time you're too tired to do your Rebuild Your Vision eye exercises or you're debating about whether to include your Ocu Plus Formula eye vitamins in your food budget, think about your aging eyes and remember, driving is not a right - it's a privilege.
 About The Author
Orlin Sorensen is the creator of Rebuild Your Vision, an eye exercise course designed to help anyone improve their natural vision. With vision training routines designed for high degrees of myopia, hyperopia, presbyopia and astigmatism, Rebuild Your Vision can help you overcome your need for glasses and contact lenses for life.
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