A STUDY OF THE VISUAL FIELDS OF NORTH CAROLINA DRIVERS AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO ACCIDENTS

In an effort to determine possible relationships between lateral vision and accident involvement, the visual fields of over 52,000 North Carolina drivers were measured. The results indicated that: (1) Relatively accurate visual field data can be gathered in the field of driver license examiners; (2) Less than one percent of North Carolina drivers have total visual fields of 120 degrees or less; (3) Visual field is related to age with a higher proportion of older drivers haveing "limited" visual fields; (4) Overall two year retrospective accident experience of those with "limited visual fields" (140 degrees or less) does not differ from drivers with "normal" fields of view (greater than 160 degrees); (5) When examinees are divided into five age categories (less than 25 years, 26-40 years, 41-69 years, 61-70 years, greater than 70 years) there is again no significant evidence that narrower visual fields are related to higher accident involvement for any age group; and (6) Restricted visual fields may be slightly related to a higher proportion of side-collisions. While results should not be interpreted as meaning that peripheral vision is unimportant in the operation of a vehicle, they do indicate that use of this particular tool as a driver screening measure should not be expected to result in any appreciable accident savings. /Author/

  • Record URL:
  • Supplemental Notes:
    • Sponsored by the North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles and the Governor's Highway Safety Program.
  • Corporate Authors:

    University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

    Highway Safety Research Center
    Chapel Hill, NC  United States  27599
  • Authors:
    • Council, F M
    • Allen, J A
  • Publication Date: 1974-12

Media Info

  • Features: References; Tables;
  • Pagination: 36 p.

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 00098945
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Source Agency: National Safety Council Safety Research Info Serv
  • Report/Paper Numbers: UNC/HSRC-74/12/6
  • Contract Numbers: 305-74-002-001
  • Files: TRIS
  • Created Date: Oct 18 1975 12:00AM