What would you do as an older driver to keep yourself and your loved ones safe on the road at night? Assess the ability to drive safely first.
Take the following measure as well:
● Make an appointment with an eye doctor at least every two years, or more often if you have a serious eye problem or visual complaint. Tell your eye doctor about any issues you have while driving at night so you can get advanced tests, such as a visual field assessment or contrast sensitivity testing.
● If you have diabetes, have your eyes checked at least once a year and closely follow your doctor’s advice for diet, blood sugar management, insulin, and self-care to avoid diabetic retinopathy, which can cause serious vision loss without warning.
How a Doctor Can Help You See Better at Night
● When you notice signs of sight-threatening eye disorders, seek medical help right away. Remember that many signs of eye problems occur late in the disease phase, so acting quickly is critical.
● Request special night driving glasses from your eye care specialist to help you see better on the road from sunset to sunrise. Glare can be reduced with anti-reflective coatings. Halos, star bursts, glare, and other irritating aberrations can be reduced with lenses developed with wavefront diagnostic technology.
● Ask your surgeon about replacing your clouded natural lenses with an aspheric intraocular lens if you are a candidate for cataract surgery. These artificial lenses are designed to provide greater contrast sensitivity and clarity than conventional spherical intraocular lenses.
● When approaching intersections, be extra vigilant, as 40 percent of fatal accidents involving older drivers occur there, according to a report by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Failure to yield was the most common cause of these collisions, particularly when making a left turn.
Expert Tips on How to Drive Safely
When you get older, schedule your trips ahead of time. By doing this, it will help reduce the dangers of driving at night. Drive at the streets you’re familiar with, and stay away from dark, unlit roads. Keep your journeys to places that are easy to get to and close to home. Avoid high-risk areas such as ramps and left turns.
If the weather is poor, allow extra travel time. Also, do not drive if you are nervous or tired. Avoid disturbances by focusing solely on driving.
Drive defensively at all times. Allow at least two car lengths between you and the vehicle in front of you, even more, if driving quickly or in bad weather.
Keep your windows clear. Also, drive a car with features like power steering, power braking, automatic transmission, and wide mirrors that make driving safer.
Keep your vehicle in good working order. Use clean windshield wipers and keep your headlights clean and aligned. If you have leg issues, consider using hand controls for your gas pedal and brakes.
Every few years, refresh your driving skills. You may take regular driving courses to refresh your skills.
