Expert reveals why some people suffer from distorted vision while driving

A lot of people face issues with distorted vision during and after driving vehicles. The issues related to eyes and vision are quite common and often get neglected. The constant negligence will have consequences from serious problems with vision and subsequently road accidents. 

A report published by the World Health Organization (WHO) last year in June, stated that approximately 1.3 million people die every year as a result of a road traffic crash and millions suffer non-fatal critical injuries. 

In India, the situation is pretty bad when it comes to road safety. Data showed that around 149,000 people lost their lives on Indian roads in 2018 alone. In India, more than 11 per cent of road traffic deaths happen even though the nation accounts for about 2 per cent of motor vehicles globally. 

To know more about the different aspects of eye-related problems, WION spoke to Dr Shalinder Sabherwal, who is the Head of Community Ophthalmology and Associate Medical Director at Dr Shroff's Charity Eye Hospital. 

Dr Sabherwal said that a lot of people may be not aware of the fact that they might be having a thing called "refractive error", which basically means the need for glasses. 

He said that it gets noticed when people find it difficult to see far, especially while driving or while doing some other work. 

Dr Sabherwal's remarks suggest that in India, there is a lack of awareness related to the need to address the impact of vision problems related to road safety. 

He further noted that there's a particular type of astigmatism, where the distortion can be even more if a person doesn't have corrected glasses. There are other eye conditions, which can cause eye distortion, could be cataract. It could be even an early cataract which may not cause that much of a problem in other activities but during driving, it can cause distortion. 

He said that glaucoma also leads to problems during driving. In such situations, a person will slowly lose peripheral (side) vision and will not be able to see things out of the corner of the eye. The vision may also be dull and blurry. 

Common eye disorders and diseases

Refractive errors
Cataract
Glaucoma
Amblyopia
Strabismus
Macular degeneration due to ageing

Dr Sabherwal said, "Similarly other retinal conditions affecting that portion of the eye, especially due to diabetes and ageing can cause distortion, which is apparent during driving." 

While talking about preventive measures, Dr Sabherwal suggested that if you are going for a long drive at night, keep taking a break at regular intervals. Also, make sure the eyes are tested for glasses. 

He noted that if a person is myopic, he/she may not find it difficult during day time, but during the night issues occur with vision. He suggested that people must use anti-glare glasses and also said that they must get their eyes checked regularly. 

Issue of poor vision of trucker drivers 

Dr Sabherwal also weighed in on the report by ICARE eye hospital, which highlighted staggering data, revealing that 50 per cent of truck drivers in India face issues with vision. The data was found after conducting eye tests on 34,000 truck drivers in the country, news outlet India Today shared details in its report published in January. 

Dr Sabherwal mentioned the impact of the initiative by Dr Shroff Charitable Eye Hospital and Eicher Foundation, which has provided screening and checkups to truck drivers. It has also helped in addressing the issue of poor vision of trucker drivers along with other regular drivers on the road. 

Key takeaways from what Dr Sabherwal said 

Keep taking a break at regular intervals during long drives
Regular eye check-ups
Use anti-glare glasses

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