Year: 2013
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Bioptic telescopic spectacles (BTS) allow people with vision impairment to obtain driving licensure even when their visual acuity does not meet normal state standards.BTS are spectacles with a small telescope implanted in one or both of the lenses.The telescope is used for brief periods during driving to spot distant targets such as road signs and traffic signals.The study described in this dissertation examines visual and demographic associations among obtaining a bioptic driving license, training and road testing results, and motor vehicle collisions in patients with low vision.The study also compares the collision rate of bioptic drivers to that of a control group of non-bioptic drivers matched on age and sex.A retrospective study of medical records was completed for patients examined for entry into the Ohio bioptic driving program at the College of Optometry at The Ohio State University over a five year period.Data were collected on visual factors, documented driver training, licensure testing results, and post-licensure driving record.No significant associations were found among visual and demographic factors and obtaining licensure after an initial vision examination.Several factors were significantly associated with the amount of training documented for iii candidates for licensure, including age and previous non-bioptic driving experience.The amount of training documented was associated with road testing results, but not with driving safety after licensure.Previous driving experience was also significantly associated with occurrence of motor vehicle collisions (MVC) in bioptic drivers, with drivers without previous experience having approximately 2.5 times as many collisions per year of licensure than those with previous experience.Other significant associations with MVC in bioptic drivers included age and the number of non-collision related convictions.Nystagmus was independently associated with MVC, but no other patient visual factors were associated with MVC.The rate of MVC per year for bioptic drivers was significantly greater than that of a group of control drivers matched on age and sex.This is consistent with past studies of bioptic collision rates.It is also consistent with past findings that groups with various medical restrictions have higher collision rates than control groups.This study does not address driving exposure in terms of actual mileage driven by bioptic drivers, and so no conclusions can be made regarding the rate of collision per mile driven for bioptic drivers, the visual or demographic associations with that figure, or how bioptic drivers compare to non-bioptic drivers in terms of collisions per mile driven.
Author: Bradley E. Dougherty
Institution: The Ohio State University
Language: English
Topic: Older Adults Driving Studies
Field: Health Professions
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2615796333