Some people approach eye examinations with a high level of apprehension. This is common leading up to the renewal of a driver's licence. Our independence is closely linked with driving ourselves. Combine this with our locality, even with its recently expanded Warkworth bus service. I often hear declarations like ‘It would be terrible if I couldn’t drive; I couldn’t continue to live where I am.‘
I don’t have any secret loophole to share with you. I know I may lose some readers when I talk frankly about the topic of not being able to drive due to failing eyesight. For an optometrist, it is a difficult job to tell someone that they do not meet the vision standard for driving anymore. A part of our job we don’t enjoy. It is worth talking about this. Take the approach, "Prepare for the worst, hope for the best."
The most common cause of reduced vision is Age-Related Macular Degeneration. One of the risk factors for Macular Degeneration (MD) is ageing. So every year we get older, the likelihood of developing MD increases. Fortunately, in most cases MD, described as Dry MD, is slow to advance. In this context, there is time for adjustment and learning.
Two other common age-related eye conditions are cataracts and glaucoma. Cataracts are, in the majority of cases, treated with surgery, successfully restoring vision. Glaucoma, like MD, causes slow deterioration over years, which gives time to adjust.
There are some useful facts worth knowing. Every time we renew our driver's licence our vision is checked, typically every ten years until the age of 75 years. At this point, we need a GP assessment. Your GP will include a vision check as part of their assessment. From 80 years onwards, we have to renew our licence every two years, involving a GP check each time.
You can have reduced vision in one eye, or completely lose vision in one eye, and still be able to drive a car. Fun fact: One in ten people have reduced vision in one eye, sometimes lifelong.
We check two things to issue an ‘Eyesight certificate for driver licence’. The first is reading letters on the chart, and the second is an assessment of peripheral vision.
So how do you prepare, or get your head around the idea of no longer holding a driver's licence? Here are my suggestions.
Talking about options in a positive way can help. Often we make the same trips in our car, usually following predictable routes (e.g. the supermarket, or family, or sports and clubs). Generating some alternatives around these routine activities helps. Some examples; online grocery shopping deliveries or accepting a ride from a friend or neighbour can be fun and social.
Investigate other options such as taxis or Driving Miss Daisy. There is a cost, but most people are unlikely to reach the same annual spend on taxis compared with the annual cost of owning, registering, insuring, and maintaining a car. Vouchers are available for subsidized taxi trips for people with low vision.
Observe how often you might currently give a ride to other people. Most of us are happy to help friends and neighbours, and genuinely enjoy doing this. One day you might be on the other side of this arrangement. So enjoy the positive feelings when you are in the role of the helper. One day you might be giving someone else that satisfaction.
If you have macular degeneration or glaucoma what should you do? Talk with us about the changes in your vision and how this might effect your driving now, or in the future. In many cases macular degeneration and glaucoma cause very slow deteriotation and people can conintue driving.
