Almost 300,000 traffic accidents per year are caused by poor vision alone.
From the age of 40 onwards, our visual acuity decreases at dusk and in the dark. The aging process of the eyes leads to clouding of the cornea, lens, and vitreous body, whereby with advancing age, vision becomes similar to looking through a frosted glass pane. At the same time, sensitivity to glare increases, which can be really dangerous on wet roads and when blinded by the headlights of oncoming vehicles. By the age of 60 at the latest, one in three people are no longer able to drive a car at night, and by the age of 70, this figure rises to one in two.
And most drivers are completely unaware that their eyesight is gradually deteriorating, while still overestimating their visual acuity.
Sometimes there is also night myopia, a form of short-sightedness that can affect both those with vision problems and those with normal vision. During the day, these people see clearly, but at night they have difficulty recognizing distant objects.
In our practice, we use a nyctometer, a night vision testing device, to test how your eyes react in twilight, darkness, and in an illuminated nighttime situation. These results on visual acuity and contrast sensitivity provide significant information about your vision and sensitivity to glare in the dark and determine whether you need vision aids when driving at night.
