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Introdiction
Shedding Light on Driving in the Dark was conducted by Kelton Research on behalf of ROAD & TRAVEL Magazine and ACUVUE® Brand Contact Lenses.Driving in the dark is one of the most hazardous situations drivers face. These times of low light such as dusk, night, or early morning, can account for a disproportionately high rate of accidents especially on roads with no street lighting. Both the national highway Trafic Safety. Administration and the national Safety Council site the fatality rate at nighttime (6:00 P.M. – 6:00 A.M.) to be three times higher than the daytime rate. Accidents involving pedestrians are even more pronounced underlow-light levels, with pedestrians being three to seven times more vulnerable at night than in daylight. According to the national Safety Council, 90 percent of a driver’s reaction depends on vision. Vision is compromised at night by reduced depth perception, color recognition, and peripheral vision. Additionally, low light levels cause an eye’s pupil to dilate, which can accentuate any existing focusing problems and result in blurred vision. This is particularly common among people with astigmatism, a common vision condition in which the surfaces of the eye, including the cornea, have an oval shape. The shape of the cornea prevents light from focusing properly on the retina, often leading to blurred vision, which can impair a driver’s speed of visual reaction time and affect the ability to quickly identify and localize possible hazards on the road.The purpose of this study was to assess attitudes, perceptions, practices and experiences of driving in low-light conditions among a nationally representative population of vision-corrected Americans aged 18 and over.For the purposes of this survey, "driving in the dark" refers to driving in low-light conditions, either early in the morning or at night.
Driving in the Dark
Visual Discomfort.More than half (53%) of vision-corrected Americans admit their vision problems usually make them feel uncomfortable when driving in the dark. Dificult to Drive in the Dark. nearly a third (32%) of vision-corrected Americans say they have dificulty driving in the dark all or most of the time. All in all, nearly seven in ten (67%) have dificulty driving in the dark at least some of the time.
Blinded by the Light.
Within the past year, nearly half (48%) say they have experienced glare or light sensitivity while driving in the dark. More than six in ten (61%) report having been bothered by headlights from oncoming trafic or from cars behind them, and almost three in ten (28%) have seen halos or starburst patterns around lights.
Blurry Behind the Wheel.
More than two in ten (21%) report blurred distance vision while behind the wheel in the dark, while a small number (5%) say they have some blurriness and dificulty in seeing the dashboard or dials.
What’s that up Ahead?
Two in ten vision-corrected drivers have trouble seeing animals and pedestrians (20%) or turns in the road (20%) when driving in the dark. More than a quarter (26%) say they have dificulty seeing signs or exits, and 22% report dificulty judging distance while driving in the dark.
How They Feel Behind the Wheel.nearly a quarter (23%) of vision-corrected Americans say that they are uncomfortable and not conident about their driving skills in the dark. Vision problems also make them feel concerned (24%) and anxious (21%). About two in ten (21%) note that their vision problems make them feel unsafe (21%) when driving in the dark. Compared to men, vision problems make women feel more uncomfortable (27% vs. 17%), less safe (25% vs. 17%) and more anxious (25% vs.16%) when driving in the dark.
Trouble Seeing.
Seven in ten (70%) women say they sometimes have trouble seeing or experience visual discomfort when driving in the dark, compared to 49 percent of men. Women also report having more problems than men when it comes to seeing signs or exits (32% vs. 19%), as well as animals or pedestrians (24% vs.16%) when driving in the dark.
Sensitive to Light. Women report being more bothered than men by headlights from oncoming trafic or cars behind them (71% vs. 49%); experiencing more glare or light sensitivity (59% vs. 36%); and seeing "halos" or "starburst patterns" around lights (32% vs. 23%) while driving in the dark. Distractions. A third (33%) of women say that trouble seeing or experiencing visual discomfort is even more distracting for them while driving in the dark than talking on the phone or text messaging (27%). By comparison,men cited talking on the phone (31%) as the number one distraction followed by trouble seeing or experiencing visual discomfort (19%).
Pass the Wheel or Pull Over?
Though women are more willing to hand the wheel over to someone else when feeling visually disoriented on the road in the dark (25%, vs. 13% of men), men are more likely to pull off the road for a break (19% of men vs. 14% of women).
Have You had Your Eyes Checked?
Nearly half (46%) of Americans report that it’s been one year or longer since they have seen an eye care professional for an eye exam. More (30%) of these respondents say they feel uncomfortable driving in the dark, compared to those who have visited an eye care professional in the last 12 months (20%).
Not Asking for Help.
Despite the fact that 73% of respondents believe that correcting their vision problems could improve their driving in the dark, only 27% have ever consulted with an eye care professional about treatments or products that could improve their vision in the dark.
Eye Woes
Americans report a number of symptoms while driving in the dark, including eyestrain (38%); dry or tired eyes (34%); fatigue (25%); headaches (19%); inability to focus (18%); and double or blurred vision (15%).
Sensitivity (55% vs. 48%), and seeing "halos" or "starburst patterns" around lights in the dark (39% vs. 28%). More than four in ten (44%) people with astigmatism have suffered from eyestrain when driving in the dark, compared to the general population, of which 38 percent have experienced eyestrain.
Glasses vs. Contacts
Nearly three in ten (28%) of those who primarily wear glasses when driving are concerned about their vision problems when driving in the dark, compared to only one in ten (10%) of those who wear contact lenses when behind the wheel. People who wear glasses when driving were signiicantly more likely than contact lens wearers (15% vs. 7%) to say that they have misjudged trafic situations.100%
More than four in ten (41%) of those who prefer to wear glasses when driving report experiencing eyestrain, compared to 29 percent of drivers who wear contacts lenses when behind the wheel. But, nearly half (49%) of contact lense wearers say that they have experienced dry or tired eyes, compared to 34 percent of drivers who mostly wear their glasses.
Astigmatisms have More Problems
About two-fifths (39%) of respondents report having been diagnosed or treated for astigmatism, a common vision condition in which surfaces of the eye, including the cornea, have an oval shape. Compared to the overall vision-corrected population, people with astigmatism experience more vision distractions while driving in the dark such as being bothered by lights from other cars (66% vs. 61% of the general population); experiencing glare or light.
Commuting
Half (50%) of vision-corrected Americans who commute to work report spending at least some of their travel driving in the dark.
Better Safe than Sorry
Most Americans alter their driving habits during darkness. Among precautions taken when driving in the dark: four in ten (42%) respondents say they drive more slowly than usual; 30% say they only drive in familiar areas or on well-lit roads; and 25% say they limit the length of their trips.Women are signiicantly more likely than men to take extra precautions when driving in the dark. They drive more slowly than usual (47% vs. 36% of men); drive only in familiar or well-lit areas (41% vs. 17%) and limit the length of their trips (30% vs. 19%).Respondents aged 50 and older are signiicantly less likely than their younger counterparts (ages 18-49) to take precautions while driving in the dark. The younger group is more likely to only drive in familiar or well-lit areas (34% vs. 20% of those aged 50 and older) and limit the length of their trIps (27%vs.22%). nearly two in ive (37%) people with children under 18 at home take the precaution of driving only in familiar or well-lit areas in the dark, compared to 26% of those with no kids at home.
Avoiding the Dark
In order to avoid driving in the dark, about one-quarter (24%) of respondents say that they have someone else drive; 14% bring along a passenger to help them spot signs, exits, or turns; and more than one-in-ten (11%) note that they will leave a meeting or appointment before it gets dark.Drivers ages 18-39 are signiicantly more likely than older drivers (40+) to avoid driving in the dark by asking someone else to drive (30%vs.20%).
Almost three in ten (28%) parents say they avoid driving in the dark by handing the wheel over to someone else, compared to 21% of those with no children at home.Men are more likely than women to call a taxi or use public transportation (6% vs. 1%).
Older Eyes, Less Problems?
Surprisingly, fewer older Americans than younger Americans report trouble driving in the dark.More than one-third (36%) of drivers aged 18-49 report having dificulty driving in the dark most or all of the time. By comparison, only 22 percent of re-spondents aged 50 and older report having dificulty driving in the dark most of the time or all the time. Less than two in ten respondents (16%) 50 and over say that vision problems are their biggest distraction when driving in the dark. That’s about half as many respondents (31%) aged 18-49 who say the same. nearly twice as many vision-corrected Americans ages 18-49 say they have a hard time seeing signs or exits in the dark compared to their above 50 counterparts (30% vs. 17%).
Does What you Drive Make A Difference?
More than half (52%) of vision-corrected drivers of SUVs and trucks say that they feel uncomfortable when driving in the dark at least some of the time, compared to 46 percent of drivers of sedans and sports cars. Sedan and sports car drivers report that they have a harder time spotting animals or pedestrians (24%, vs. 18% of SUV and truck drivers) and road markers such as lane dividers (20% vs. 15%). Those who have sedans or sports cars are more likely to say they drive more slowly than usual (49%, vs. 35% of SUV and truck drivers) or limit the length of their trips (29% vs. 23%) as a precaution when driving in the dark.
Dear Refractive Partner:
Do you routinely screen LASIK candidates for night driving difficulty? The reason I ask is because the Zyoptix? Personalized Vision Correction System is proven to reduce reports of night driving difficulty. With long winter nights there is no better time to ask your prospective LASIK patients about their comfort level while driving at night.
The US clinical trial of the Zyoptix system demonstrated not only a significant reduction in reports of night driving difficulty following treatment, but also showed significant reductions in reports of light sensitivity, blurring of vision and headaches.
Further, objective vision testing demonstrated that Zyoptix treatment significantly improved constrast sensitivity (CS) under mesopic, or dim light, conditions. In fact, more than one in five cases showed a dramatic improvement in CS greater than 2 lines. Contrast sensitivity testing helps determine how well patients see in difficult viewing situations such as in very dim light, rain, snow or fog.
Why does this matter? A recent national survey conducted by Road & Travel magazine identified some important findings among drivers primarily wearing glasses or contact lenses:
- Nearly a third (32%) report having significant difficulty driving in the dark
- Nearly half (48%) report experiencing glare or light sensitivity while driving in the dark
- More than two in ten (21%) report blurred vision while driving in the dark
- Almost two in ten (19%) report experiencing headaches while driving in the dark
Recently, WJAC TV’s reporter Kattie Sabatino underwent Zyoptix treatment and filed a story about her experience. Visit http://www.wjactv.com/news/14527353/detail.html for the full news coverage about how Zyoptix treatment corrected the poor night vision that Katie experienced throughout her life.
So Zyoptix Personalized Laser Vision Correction is not only about freedom from glasses and contacts, but also provides better vision when your patients need it most. For more information please register at www.zyoptixUSA.com or contact me directly at Bob_Anello@bausch.com.
Sincerely,
Bob Anello
Director of Marketing
