Have Your Vision Checked and See What You Might be Missing – Fort Lauderdale Accident Attorneys

Accident statistics have advanced to the point where we have a good idea how many accidents happen because of temporary driver impairment (drugs, alcohol, etc) and driver distraction (texting or talking on the phone) but we don’t have accurate data regarding how many accidents are caused by poor vision. Even though the first thing many people say after an accident is “I didn’t see them” we don’t test people’s vision after an accident to see if indeed they didn’t see the other car or the pedestrian because they simply can’t see well.

Fort Lauderdale Accident AttorneysWhen someone applies for a driver’s license in Florida for the first time they much pass a written test, a driving test, a hearing test, and a vision test. After that they can renew their license every eight years with no further tests, until they reach the age of 80. Customers who are 80 years of age or older and are not eligible to renew their driver license online are required to pass a vision test.

Requiring elderly drivers to have their vision checked is probably a good idea, but eye problems happen in people of all ages. For example, is it difficult for you to see at night, especially while driving? Is it tough to find your way around in dark places, such as movie theaters?

That is likely night blindness. It’s a symptom, not a problem in its own right. Nearsightedness, cataracts, keratoconus, and a lack of vitamin A all cause a type of night blindness that doctors can fix. Some people are born with this problem, or it might develop from a degenerative disease involving the retina, and that usually can’t be treated. If you have it, you’ll need to be extra careful in areas of low light. Retinal detachments can occur to people at any age, and it is a dangerous situation that can result in blindness if not treated immediately.

Lazy eye, color blindness, cataracts, crossed eyes, and glaucoma are all vision problems that can happen to anyone at any age, and they can all cause a reduction in a driver’s ability to see the road as well as they should. Even someone who works long hours at a computer can have blurred vision and should probably not drive.

The solution: see your eye doctor regularly. A thorough exam will spot any irregularities or disease and early treatment may correct or stop the progress of damage.

Fort Lauderdale Accident Attorneys

The Law Firm of Lazarus and Lazarus helps people who have been injured in automobile, truck, and motorcycle accidents and we have over 25 years of experience getting results. If you have been involved in an accident and have questions, please call us at 954-356-0006 and we’ll listen to you.