Blog vol 3. 32. Driving simulator and visually impaired drivers.
Research on the correlation between visual fields and driving performance is rare. This research is close to my heart since I help visually impaired people to drive using bioptic telescopes.
A recent study in Sweden asked the question: can a driving simulation be used effectively to help people with visual impairment retrain their driving skills with their new visual limitations? Many of the subjects did function well on the simulator. (Link to study
here)
Of particular interest to these researchers was the effect of laser treatment for diabetic retinopathy on driving.
When retinopathy from diabetes is advanced, there is a lack of oxygen to parts of the retina, and there can be substantial vision loss as a result. The body will produce cytokines that encourage new blood vessel growth to provide much-needed oxygen. Problem is that these new vessels are poorly made and leak and eventually produce permanent scarring. The use of lasers to destroy selected visual receptors in order to reduce oxygen demand is an accepted way of reducing further vision loss.
Where you hit the retina with the laser makes a difference in where vision is lost. The study in Sweden showed that it is better to concentrate laser treatment on the superior retina to reduce oxygen demand and to spare the more superior visual field. The driving results were much better in this scenario.
I was impressed with the high-tech simulator (Sim III) they used. It had a real Saab front dash and steering wheel, and real movements and mirrors. No wonder the assessment cost 2000 euros, wow! We now have a driver assessment centre in Barrie for all the bioptic drivers who are seeking to get their “G” license. The legislation passed in 2019 to allow bioptics for driving is finally having “legs” put to it.
If you are visually impaired and would like to see if driving is a possibility, schedule a low-vision bioptic assessment at our office. If you are able to pass the visual field and the visual acuity requirements with the bioptics, then we fit you with a custom pair. Once you are fitted and you practice using them, a temporary license is issued that allows for driver training. Finally, you go to Barrie for a driver’s assessment with the bioptics, and when you pass that, a permanent license is issued. Currently, Barrie is the only option for an assessment. Things keep changing so let’s hope for something on this side of the GTA.
One step at a time, the process takes a lot of patience but it is doable. We have a number of patients with visual impairments who have successfully achieved their “G” license.
til next week,
the good doctor
