Vision and Driving: Selective Effect of Optical Blur on Different Driving Tasks

摘要

A test of static (high-contrast) visual acuity is the most prevalent vision test used to screen driver license applicants worldwide, even though research has largely failed to provide convincing empirical evidence for its role in traffic accidents. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the effect of visual acuity degrada- tion on different components of the driving task. Participants were 24 young licensed drivers (15 men, 9 women) with normal vision. Driving performance was measured while participants wore modified swimmer's goggles to which blurring lenses were affixed in amounts necessary to produce binocular visual acuity levels of 20/20, 20/40 (the prevalent acuity standard for drifing), 20/100, and 20/200.