One of the greatest necessities for safe driving is, undeniably, good vision. As a matter of fact, staying safe on the road relies on a combination of a number of different visual abilities like distance and near vision, side or peripheral vision, seeing at night and color vision, just to name a few.
Being able to see well into the distance is crucial because of how it lets you scan the road ahead of you and become aware of any dangerous things that might come up. Most importantly, it gives you more time to act fast and stop any accidents that might have otherwise taken place. On the other hand, if you lack strong distance vision then there's a chance you may not see the dangers until it's too late.
Just as important is peripheral or side vision, which enables you see to the sides of your vehicle, which is crucial to see other cars, animals and pedestrians without needing to look away from the road ahead. Strong peripheral vision is also important when changing lanes and making turns. Use both your rearview and side mirrors. Make sure they're angled properly, to enhance your view of the road to your sides and back.
Additionally, good depth perception is important for road safety. This allows you to judge distances correctly in dense driving conditions, change lanes and overtake other cars. Good depth perception requires proper sight in both of your eyes. If one lacks proper vision in one eye, it's essential to check with an eye doctor to see whether it is okay for you to drive. You may need to stop driving until a solution is found to correct your vision.
Accommodation also comes into use while on the road. Accommodating is the ability to move your focus from a view ahead to something in front of you, such as from the road to the speedometer. If you've recently hit middle-age it's common for you to have increasing difficulty with near vision, and you might need reading glasses or another corrective device to see objects up close. Call your optometrist to talk about the best option.
Don't wait until you renew or apply for your driver's license to get your eyes checked. You don't want to endanger your life or those of others on the road! If you think your eyesight isn't adequate, visit your eye doctor, and get a thorough eye exam as soon as you can.
