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Abstract
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SIGNIFICANCE: Lack of knowledge regarding the mileage driven by drivers with low vision who use bioptic telescopes could obscure the relationship between vision and road safety. This study provides data suggesting that worse vision is correlated with less mileage driven but more collisions per mile in bioptic drivers.
PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine whether vision or demographic factors predict mileage driven in bioptic drivers and per-mile motor vehicle collision rate, and also to compare the collision rate of bioptic drivers to previous estimates for the general population.
METHODS: Driver data were collected retrospectively from clinic records. Collision data were collected from the Ohio BMV database. Subjects were also asked to estimate their yearly mileage. Regression models were used to investigate relationships between vision and collision rates.
RESULTS: 73 licensed Ohio bioptic drivers (36 male) were included. Mean (±SD) age was 51 ± 16 years. Mean logMAR visual acuity was 0.67 (approximately 20/100). Mean log contrast sensitivity was 1.57. Mean reported annual mileage was 9,746. Age, gender, and previous (non-bioptic) driving experience were not associated with mileage. LogMAR visual acuity was inversely related to mileage (P =.020), and contrast sensitivity (P =.012) and horizontal visual field (P =.019) were directly associated with mileage. Visual acuity (P =.017) and visual field (P =.005), but not contrast sensitivity (P =.193), were associated with number of collisions.
CONCLUSIONS: Visual acuity, visual field, and contrast sensitivity were associated with driving exposure in bioptic drivers (with drivers with poorer vision reporting lower annual mileage) and poorer visual acuity and visual field were associated with more collisions. The per mile collision rate for bioptic drivers was within the range of that previously reported for fully-sighted drivers, though higher than would be expected for fully-sighted drivers of similar age distribution.
Language: en |