How to stay an independent driver as you age

Some eyesight changes as we get older can affect our driving ability. But there are many steps you can take to mitigate these problems:

• For example, it gets harder to refocus when switching between looking at objects that are distant and ones that are close up.
• Reaction times are slower and you need more light to see.
• It also becomes more difficult to adapt to very bright light, particularly to sudden dramatic changes in light intensity — emerging from a heavily tree-lined road into the sunshine, for instance.
• Peripheral vision tends to worsen and colours may be dimmed.

• Don't drive when you are tired.

• Stay alert and concentrate. Make sure that there is a good flow of air through the vehicle and take frequent breaks.

• Always wear your glasses or contacts if you need them for driving; keep your glasses clean.

• Keep your windshield clean inside and out.

• Wear good-quality sunglasses in bright light. Be aware that low sun can produce excessive glare and "bleach out" white road markings so that they are difficult to see; glasses can be treated with an anti-reflective coating to reduce glare.

• Avoid glasses with wide side-pieces and wrap-around sunglasses as they may block your side vision.• Keep pace with the speed of other cars, but don't drive too close to the car in front.

• Be extra careful at intersections, especially when turning right.

• Consider a driver's safety program designed especially for older adults.

Many people over the age of 40 find night driving increasingly difficult. Our eyes adapt more slowly to dim light and are more sensitive to glare. Disorientation can more easily occur. The most obvious solution is to plan trips that avoid dusk and night time. If that's not possible, the following tips will help your night driving, irrespective of age:

• Keep to well-lit main roads if you can.

• When you know that you will be driving at night, avoid bright sunlight the preceding day. The brighter the light and the longer your eyes are exposed to it, the longer they will take to adapt to the dark. So in daylight wear sunglasses or a wide-brimmed hat, and stay in the shade as much as possible. Don't wear tinted glasses of any kind when you drive at night.

• Make sure that your headlights are properly adjusted for the best forward illumination.

• Opt for an anti-reflective coating on your glasses, to reduce glare.

• Drive more slowly at night, keeping to a speed that allows you to stop within the distance lit up by your headlights.