The Impact of Visual Field Loss on Driving Performance: Evidence from On-Road Driving Assessments

This article reports on a study that investigated the relationship between visual field loss and driving performance as determined by on-road driving assessments. The authors reviewed the files of 1350 patients enrolled in a rehabilitation program at the Bloorview MacMillan Rehabilitation Centre, Toronto, Canada, and identified 131 patients with visual field loss who had undergone an on-road driving assessment. These patients had a primary diagnosis of visual impairment or a primary diagnosis of cerebral vascular accident (CVA) with a secondary diagnosis of visual impairment. The on-road assessment consisted of driving in the area surrounding the rehabilitation center, and the outcome was based on performance on a number of tasks commonly encountered in daily driving; the assessment outcomes were classified as safe, unknown, or unsafe. Results showed that, overall, the extent of visual field loss did not have a significant impact on driving performance. However, hemianopia (blindness in half of the normal visual field) tended to have a worse impact on driving performance than quadrantanopia (loss of vision in a quarter section of the visual field of one or both eyes). In general, the location of the visual loss was not significantly related to driving fitness. However, localized defects in the left hemifield and diffuse visual loss in the right hemifield seemed to be associated with driving impairments. A large proportion of monocular drivers were safe drivers and the location of their deficit had no significant impact. The authors conclude that their study highlights the need for individualized on-road assessments for patients with visual field defects.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/10405488
• Publication Date: 2005-8

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Pagination: pp 668-674
• Serial:
  • Optometry and Vision Science
  • Volume: 82
  • Issue Number: 8
  • Publisher: American Academy of Optometry
  • ISSN: 1040-5488
  • EISSN: 1538-9235
  • Serial URL: http://journals.lww.com/optvissci/pages/default.aspx

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Ability tests; Automobile driving; Driver rehabilitation; Driving tests; Vision disorders
• Subject Areas: Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01010554
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Nov 28 2005 9:10AM