Cataracts and the aging driver

Abstract

Progressive age-related declines in vision make everyday tasks more difficult for older adults. The consequences of age-related visual change are particularly evident in the presence of serious disorders of the eye such as cataract. Cataracts, a nearuniversal visual outcome of aging, increase the opacity and light scattering properties of the lens. These changes, in turn, impair acuity, contrast sensitivity, and color discrimination, especially under conditions of dim illumination or strong glare. Research shows that the performance, safety, mobility, comfort, and driving habits of older drivers are affected adversely by cataract-induced visual loss. Conversely, the striking improvements in sight with surgical replacement of the cataractous lens appear to enhance aging drivers' performance and safety. The relative benefits of treating cataracts unilaterally versus bilaterally, however, have yet to be determined, as do the direct and mobility-mediated effects of cataract and cataract treatment on psychosocial variables that contribute to well-being and quality of life.

Age-Related Diseases and Driving Safety

“…With increasing age, various visual functions such as visual acuity, twilight vision, contrast vision, color vision, as well as peripheral and stereo vision gradually deteriorate [3,16]. Certain eye diseases occur frequently in old age, namely: cataracts, glaucoma, and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) [17].…”

“…The glaucoma group also reported having had at least one car accident within the past five years. According to a study by Wood & Black [17], older drivers with glaucoma with even mild to moderate field loss exhibited impairments in driving ability, particularly during complex driving situations that involved tactical problems with lane positioning, planning ahead, and observation.…”

“…After 20 years of diabetes, about 90% of the patients suffer from diabetic retinopathy. The consequences are an impairment of visual acuity or color vision as well as a restriction of the field of view [17].…”

“…In the AGE-V3 study mentioned above, the older respondents named cataracts as the most common eye disease [ 7 ]. About half of Americans aged 65 to 74 years may have cataracts [ 18 ]. Usually, cataract symptoms become noticeable when driving a car.…”