As you age, your body may not work the same as it did when you were younger. You may start to develop conditions that make it more challenging to do daily tasks. Glaucoma is an eye condition that comes with age. Not everyone gets it, but it is quite predominant in the elderly community. If you have glaucoma, then you understand how it affects your vision. This could put you at a higher risk of getting into a car accident in Arizona.
Healio explains studies show that having glaucoma can increase your chances of an auto accident far above that of your peers who do not have the condition. One study, in particular, showed 11% of the 142 people in the study admitted to having an accident prior to the study, and about 25% of the people in the study gave up their driver’s license due to glaucoma. That means the majority of people, despite having some issues driving due to glaucoma, still retained their license and remained on the roads.
It is not completely surprising that this condition would lead to a higher risk of an accident since it does cause issues with your vision. You may have contrast sensitivity, blurriness and other vision disruptions due to the condition. However, what it does show is evidence that this is a serious issue. The hope is that studies like this can help change the discussions over driver’s license renewal for older individuals and help to put safeguards in place that will ensure people are not on the roadways who cannot safely drive. This information is for education and is not legal advice.