Impact of age-related vision changes on driving
Identificadores
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10481/63759Metadata
Show full item recordAuthor
Ortiz Peregrina, Sonia; Ortiz Herrera, Carolina; Casares López, Miriam; Castro Torres, José Juan; Jiménez Del Barco Jaldo, Luis Miguel; González Anera, María Del RosarioMateria
Driving performance Visual function
Date
2020-10-12Referencia bibliográfica
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 7416
Abstract
Aging leads to impaired visual function, which can a ect driving—a very visually
demanding task—and has a direct impact on an individual’s quality of life if their license is
withdrawn. This study examined the associations between age-related vision changes and simulated
driving performance. To this end, we attempted to determine the most significant visual parameters
in terms of evaluating elderly drivers’ eyesight. Twenty-one younger drivers (aged 25–40) were
compared to 21 older drivers (aged 56–71). Study participants were assessed for visual acuity,
contrast sensitivity, halos, and intraocular straylight, which causes veiling luminance on the retina and
degrades vision. Driving performance was evaluated using a driving simulator. The relationships
between simulated driving performance and the visual parameters tested were examined with
correlation analyses and linear regression models. Older drivers presented impairment in most visual
parameters (p < 0.05), with straylight being the most significantly a ected (we also measured the
associated e ect size). Older drivers performed significantly worse (p < 0.05) in the simulator test,
with a markedly lower performance in lane stability. The results of the multiple linear regression
model evidenced that intraocular straylight is the best visual parameter for predicting simulated
driving performance (R2 = 0.513). Older drivers have shown significantly poorer results in several
aspects of visual function, as well as di culties in driving simulator performance. Our results suggest
that the non-standardized straylight evaluation could be significant in driver assessments, especially
at the onset of age-related vision changes.