Driving with Low Vision: Who, Where, When, and Why (2007)

By Dr Eli Peli

This articles discusses low vision driving using a bioptic telescope. The author introduces the subject be reinforcing 'Driving is a privilege not a right'. Discussing the USA context talks to the impact of inability to obtain a licence, such as "...social isolation, economic difficulties, and limits access to healthcare and other services... increase depression amongst the elderly... younger people loss or inability to gain driving privileges limits job opportunities, social interactions, and may severely restrict location of housing and life style." The author argues "...one would not like to withhold driving privileges unless absolutely necessary. Interpretation of the American with Disabilities Act prohibits unjustified limiting of a driving license as discrimination against the disabled."

The author further states "The idea of low vision driving evokes emotional objections from lay people and professionals alike... Many people believe that low-vision driving will lead to an increase in these already frightening accident statistics. This belief, however, is not founded on scientific data, and indeed is frequently in direct contradiction to such data. The visual requirements for driving are frequently misunderstood due to reliance on driving regulations that appear to have been arbitrarily established in the face of a dearth of scientific evidence. As a result, the vision requirements for driving regulations vary widely from state to state and also differ significantly from regulations in other countries, most notably with respect to the regulations regarding restricted driving with low vision, with or without visual aids."

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