Reminds me of a brilliant arrangement

Our vision changes throughout our lives, and for drivers it is especially important to monitor how their vision develops. The vision requirements for a professional driver are stricter than for an ordinary motorist.

– There are many different types of vision challenges you can experience when driving a car, says Karin Lund, head of optics at the optician chain Brilleland.

She says that the challenge that is easiest to detect for yourself is changes in visual acuity, i.e. the ability to perceive details. Drivers often notice this by finding it harder to read road signs from a distance.

Glasses support

YTF members can receive 1,200 kroner in support for the purchase of glasses every two years. If you wear lenses, you can receive 600 kroner each year.

Head of the finance and membership department at YTF, Wenche Nyjordet, recommends all members who wear glasses or lenses to take advantage of the scheme.

– This is a good scheme, and it is easy to use, says Nyjordet.

The money for glasses or lenses is paid out from YTF's aid fund.

– To apply, you go to My Page on YTF's website and select the type of support, attach your account number and upload documentation. The support is paid out once a month, explains Nyjordet.

She reminds us that some departments in YTF also have their own benefit funds that can provide support for costs for doctors, medicines and dentists.

More demanding on vision

Karin Lund, Head of Product at Brilleland, believes that the everyday life of today's professional drivers can be more demanding on the eyes than before. Bus drivers, for example, now use multiple screens when stopping at bus stops and to keep track of the timetable. This means that the eye has to change its focus to a greater extent.

– Seeing clearly on a screen or dashboard requires something different than reading a sign from a distance

Karin Lund, Head of Department at Brilleland

A recent study conducted by Sintef illustrates how important good vision is for drivers. The study measured how bus drivers' gaze shifts between the road, exterior mirrors, interior mirrors, timetable screen, door camera screen, dashboard and the surrounding road environment.

In the study, during a stop at a bus stop during rush hour, 392 movements of the driver's gaze were recorded over a period of 41 seconds. During the same period, the driver fixed his gaze, that is, kept his gaze steady on a point, 176 times. Each point requires an adjustment of the vision.

– For an adult driver, glasses that provide sharp vision at a distance will not provide the same on a screen inside the bus. To achieve this, the driver must have several different strengths in the glasses, says Lund.

Coming insidiously

According to the head of the department, drivers should also be aware of three other changes in vision:

• Impaired contrast vision
• Impaired adaptation to changes in lighting conditions
• Dropouts or gaps in peripheral vision

The former impairs vision when driving in poor light conditions, such as at dusk or in fog. Impaired ability to adapt to changing light conditions will make it more difficult to adjust quickly, for example when driving in and out of a tunnel, or if you are dazzled by oncoming traffic.

While everyday life is full of situations that can give a hint that visual acuity is impaired, changes in contrast vision and peripheral vision are more difficult to notice, explains Lund.

– It is a gradual development, and it is not so easy to detect yourself. But you will be able to test it in an eye examination.

– Can anything be done to strengthen contrast vision?

– Yes, you can get both glasses and sunglasses with special lenses that increase contrast.

Important to detect early

While glasses or lenses can solve challenges related to both acuity and contrast vision, impaired peripheral vision, or visual field loss, is a more difficult situation for a driver.

There are currently strict requirements for the field of vision for all drivers in Norway, and 550 people lose their driver's license every year as a result of impaired vision.

If the cause is damage to the optic nerve or retina, it will not be possible to reverse the visual field loss, but it can be prevented from worsening. The earlier the cause is found and treated, the greater the chance of preserving the visual field.

In addition to the glasses subsidy scheme, YTF members receive a discount on eye exams at Brilleland.