Heels & Horsepower Magazine

What You Need To Know About Driving And Eye Fatigue

Safe driving requires good vision, but many motorists underestimate the value of adequately resting their eyes

– Thembela moyo,Founder & optometrist, fresh vision optometrists

As a child, I often wondered why adults complained about feeling tired after driving.  In my then limited understanding, I couldn’t comprehend how one got exhausted from just sitting!  Of course, when I eventually learned how to drive, I understood that the fatigue my parents had felt was related to more than “just sitting down.” 

The visual aspect of driving requires more than simply looking at mobile and immobile objects on and around the road.  Rather, the driver is also required to absorb the information constantly being presented to them, all the while making crucial decisions and steering the vehicle safely.  This is the mental and physical exercise motorists engage in when driving irrespective of the distance of the journey.  

The aforementioned process is prolonged when driving over long distances and therefore requires an alert mind and flawless eyesight. Irrespective of the distance, motorists’ are compelled to adjust their vision to suit the ever-changing of their driving environment.  This includes observing, adjusting, focusing, and refocusing their vision as and when objects approach and pass them.  Simultaneously, drivers also need to contend with ‘distractions’ such as (but not limited to) pedestrians, oncoming headlights, or the glare of the setting sun, all of which cause the eyes to be in perpetual motion.

In light of the momentous role, good vision plays concerning safe driving and taking simple precautions such as resting your eyes become extremely important.

– THEMBELA MOYO,FOUNDER & OPTOMETRIST, FRESH VISION OPTOMETRISTS

The fact that we are not fully conscious of our eyes as all these movements take place and that we absorb and execute various driving tasks based on the information we absorb visually is one of the many marvels of the human body.  However, this activity does take a toll on your eyes resulting in them becoming strained; which in turn can lead to reduced safety and effectiveness while driving. 

It is alarming to imagine that ‘eye fatigue’ or ‘eye strain’ can occur at the very instance when your eyes are required to perform a visual task which could be the difference between serious injury and being safe.  Add to that the possibility of a motorist driving with uncorrected visual problems and you have a recipe for a life-threatening situation.

In light of the momentous role, good vision plays concerning safe driving and taking simple precautions such as resting your eyes become extremely important.  Over and above having your eyes tested here are a few basic tips to consider when practicing good vision.

  1. Always wear your spectacles when driving and ensure that the lenses are clean
  2. Wear sunglasses that provide UV protection or have polarized lenses. 
  3. Wear lenses fitted with an anti-glare coating as this allows more light to enter the eye while minimizing in-coming glare.
  4. Rest your eyes and minimize eye fatigue by taking regular breaks when driving over long distances.  The recommended period is every 2-hours of continuous driving
  5. Keep headlights, taillights, and the windshield clean, inside and outside.
  6. Submit to regular eye tests by an eye care practitioner to:
    1. Timeously identify problems which could have arisen
    2. ensure your eyes are healthy 
    3. ensure that your eye care prescriptions are up to date

Why Your Eyes Need UV Protection

Eye protection is more than just wearing a fancy pair of designer sunglasses to block out the sunlight.

– Thembela Moyo

As a driver, you need to fulfill many requirements – often simultaneously. You need to react quickly, adhere to road signs, identify obstacles and make accurate assessments of the environment you are driving in. When driving, we rely on our eyes more than any of our other senses. Our eyes are constantly in motion.

One of the biggest threats to your eyesight is the harmful effects of Ultraviolet* (UV) rays. Nothing causes discomfort when driving quite like bright sunlight reflecting off the tarmac, or car windows. We are all familiar with the searing pain of the sun’s rays shining directly into our eyes. 

Not only do UV rays cause sunburn and wrinkles around the eyes, they also damage the retina which is why you should only wear sunglasses with UV protection.  

Brief exposure to UV rays normally leads to irritation of the cornea. This condition is also known as ‘sunburn of the eye’. Symptoms of irritated corneas include, an increase of tears, red eyes, pain and a gritty feeling int he eye (as if a particle of sand in in the eye).

Over time however, exposure to UV rays could lead to more serious afflictions such as retinal damage, cataracts, Ptergia (growths on the eye) and macular degeneration.

The importance of eye health in relation to driving, cannot be emphasized.

– Thembela Moyo

In the same way that we protect our skin from sun damage, it is also vitally important that we protect our eyes in order to maintain good eye health and sound vision.

It is important to point out that certified UV protective sunglasses do not necessarily equate to a pricier tag. There are several brands on the market that offer stylish sunglasses with the required UV protection at affordable prices. Cheap imitations can be temptingly priced but remember that they often do not have any UV protection at all. It is imperative that one prioritizes protective functionality over stylish looks.

The importance of eye health in relation to driving, cannot be emphasized.

Be kind to your eyes and look after them by choosing wisely because without healthy eyes you compromise your driving safety.

Remember, protection is key.

Ultraviolet radiation, a type of energy produced by the sun and some artificial sources* 

Why You Need UV Protection On Your Sunglasses

Your eyes are constantly in motion, focusing and refocusing as objects approach

– thembela moyo, founder and owner – fresh vision optometrists

As a driver, you must fulfil many requirements, often simultaneously: you must react quickly, follow the speed limits, and correctly assess the driven distances and distances to hindrances. You rely on your eyes more so than any other sense.  Your eyes are constantly in motion, focusing and refocusing as objects approach, and contending with distractions, such as oncoming headlights or the glare of the setting sun.

One of the biggest threats to your eyesight is the harmful effects of Ultraviolet* (UV) rays and nothing causes discomfort when driving quite like bright sunlight reflecting off the tarmac or car windows, sending searing pain directly into your eyes.  Not only do UV rays cause sunburn and wrinkles around your eyes they also damage your retina which is why you should only wear sunnies with UV protection.  

There are 4 areas that can help you make an excellent sunglass choice. 

  1. The Material Of The Lens: Take a look at what the tag says about the composition of the lens, which is the most important aspect of sun protection. Make sure the material blocks the harmful UV rays. This will usually be indicated by a percentage which ideally should be 100 %.
  • Lens Colour: This is an area where you can surrender yourself to your fashion whims as the colour of the sunglass lens does not affect UV protection. People would tend to think that the darker the colour of the sunglasses the more protection from UV rays they are but this is a myth. 
  • Polarization: Simply put, polarization functions like miniature blinds on your sunnies.  The coating blocks out horizontal rays whilst letting in vertical light but these ‘blinds’ do not protect your eyes from the harmful effects of UV rays.  Hence, even if you have polarized sunglasses you still need a UV-blocking material or coating for protection.
  • The Right Frame. When choosing the right frame, look for comfort and as much coverage your face size can support to protect your eyes and the skin around your eyes. Wrap-around styles are especially helpful because they block light from the sides as well as the front.

It is important to point out that certified UV protective sunglasses do not necessarily equate to a pricier tag either and there are several brands on the market that offer stylish sunglasses with the required UV protection at affordable prices. Cheap imitations can be temptingly priced but remember that they often do not have any UV protection at all, therefore you must think twice about prioritizing stylish looks above protective functionality.

The importance of eye health in relation to driving, cannot be emphasized enough and as important as it is to purchase the right type of car for your needs, it is similarly important to purchase the correct type of eyewear for your eyesight and ever changing requirements of our daily driving conditions.  

Be kind to your eyes and look after them by choosing wisely because without healthy eyes you compromise your driving safety.  Remember, protection is key.

Ultraviolet radiation, a type of energy produced by the sunand some artificial sources* 

How Well Can You Really See?

A woman has the ability to note that the left toe-nail of another woman 10m away is in need of a trim and colour fill but has difficulty seeing the SUV she reversed into in the parking lot.  You laugh but you know it’s true.

90% of the information motorists need is received through the eyes, therefore it stands to reason that good vision is a prerequisite for safe driving.  

Let’ s face it. If you can’t see properly, you can’t drive safely, it’s simple – Thembela Moyo

There are different types of visual functionality necessary for driving, and should any of these be impaired your level of safety on the road becomes automatically compromised.  These are:

COLOUR VISION helps you identify things like traffic signals, different coloured road signs, indicator and brake lights.

DEPTH PERCEPTION is the ability to see things in three dimensions (length, width and depth) and to judge the distance of various objects in relation to where you are.

VISUAL ACUITY gauges how clearly you can see and visual field is how wide of an area your eye can see when you focus on a central point. 

VISUAL FIELD is how wide an area your eye can see when you focus on a central point.

PERIPHERAL VISION enables you to see things to your left or right such as the sides of your car, animals, cyclists and pedestrians without the need to glance away from the road.  

NEAR VISION is the ability to quickly and effectively adjust your focus from something far away such as the bend in road ahead, to something near such as the information on your dashboard.

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It is incredible that the above (and more) work together almost instantaneously and to a large extent are the determining factors used in making critical driving decisions.  

Asides driving distracted or under the influence of drugs or alcohol, other reasons which affect our ability to see properly include:

  • Normal age-related degeneration
  • Glaucoma – a disease which damages the eye’s optic nerve leading to the development of blind spots in your central or peripheral vision 
  • Macular Degeneration – a disease in which a part of the retina (called the macula) becomes damaged, causing loss to central vision
  • Diabetic Retinopathy – a disease in which high blood sugar levels cause damage to blood vessels in the retina, depriving it of both central and peripheral vision
  • Cataract – a progressive clouding of the lens in the eye, causing halos around lights, blurry vision and difficulty in seeing properly in bad weather conditions, poorly lit environments and at night.
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Nothing signals that we are aging quite like deteriorating eyesight which is one of the leading reasons most people avoid having their eyes tested.  There is no shame in admitting that your vision isn’t quite what it used to be and thanks to modern technology, there are many corrective solutions for various eyesight deficiencies – which don’t involve thick unsightly glasses!  

Please let me know how about your eyesight and driving experiences by leave a comment below and tagging @freshvisionopt on Instagram and hashtag #heelsandhorsepowermag

About the Author: Thembelo Moyo