If, over the years, it’s become harder for you to read road signs, distinguish between red and green traffic lights, or deal with the glare of oncoming cars at night, then we have both good new and bad news.
The good news is, you’re not alone, according to U.S. News & World Report. “The unavoidable reality, however, is that driving skills deteriorate as we age … and by 2030, according to U.S. Census Bureau data cited by AAA, one in four drivers will be age 65 or older.”
==>>Exercises To Improve eyesight
Top Eye Exercises: Learn Easy
Eye Exercises That Have Amazing Success
To Improving Vision!
The bad news, however, is that many states are beginning to revamp their vision requirements for older drivers in advance of the coming “gray wave” of Baby Boomers.
Currently, driving regulations are decided on a state-by-state basis. Although the standard vision requirement for most states is 20/40 in at least one eye with or without eyeglasses, the crucial variable of how often that measurement is updated with the Department of Motor Vehicles is, well, all over the map. Some examples:
* Arizona issues a lifetime license up to age 65, but applicants must come into a license office every 12 years to apply for a duplicate license and have their vision rechecked.
* In Florida (where the standard vision requirement is only 20/70 in at least one eye with or without eyeglasses, presumably because of that state’s large elderly population), applicants may renew by mail twice if they have a clean driving record and may not undergo vision screening for a period of 18 years.
* In Iowa, initial and renewal drivers must take and pass a vision test to be licensed. The renewal cycle is every 4 years, up to age 70, when the renewal cycle is reduced to 2 years.
* In Vermont, only upon initial application for a driver’s license (but not upon renewal) must a vision test be given.
Yet the new reality of not only a growing senior population, but also the stuttering economy, which is forcing many to put off retirement and keep working into their 70s, is forcing states to rethink the rules.
USA Today reports that “California is analyzing results of a pilot project in which drivers who failed an initial written or vision test were required to take additional tests, sometimes including an eye exam and a road test.”
Further, “Maryland state law allows police, doctors, and residents, including relatives, to refer potentially unfit drivers to the Motor Vehicle Administration’s Medical Advisory Board. Police refer about 700 people annually; about 60% of them are drivers over age 65.”
In Maine, the interval between license renewals was shortened from six years to four years after age 62 and a vision check is required with each renewal. And a 2004 Florida law requiring that older drivers pass a vision test before getting their license renewed has helped cut the death rate among drivers 80 and older by 17%.
Of course, knowing when to give up driving is a sticky issue. The Bangor Daily News notes that “the big difference between the elderly and the rest of the population is that the elderly often do not realize their driving skills are deteriorating.”
AAA has designed a program, “Roadwise Review: A Tool to Help Seniors Drive Safely Longer,” that measures eight physical and mental abilities shown to be the strongest predictors of crash risk among older drivers and provides feedback to guide the user’s decision about their ability to drive safely. Of those eight, half relate to vision, including High-Contrast Visual Acuity, needed to identify pavement markings, as well as detect many types of hazards in or near the road, and Low-Contrast Visual Acuity, which is vital for driving in low-visibility conditions such as dusk, rain, or fog.
So the next time you’re too tired to do your Rebuild Your Vision exercises or you’re debating about whether to include you r Ocu-Plus Formula vitamins in your food budget, think about your aging eyes and remember, driving is not a right, it’s a priviledge.
Eye Nutrition Fact: Vitamin E and your Vision
Because of its antioxidant action, vitamin E helps protect against cataracts and age-related macular degeneration . A clinical study has showed that taking vitamin E can cut the risk of developing cataracts in half. Another study also showed that the combination of vitamins C and E had a protective effect against UV rays.
The richest source of vitamin E is wheat germ. Dark green leafy vegetables (such as spinach, kale, and collard greens), sweet potatoes, avocado, asparagus, and yams are also good sources of vitamin E.
If you’re not already taking it, our Ocu-Plus Formul a contains 17 nutrients that research has shown to support and protect your eyes, including vitamin E. Learn more at:
Technorati
If, over the years, it’s become harder for you to read road signs, distinguish between red and green traffic lights, or deal with the glare of oncoming cars at night, then we have both good new and bad news.
The good news is, you’re not alone, according to U.S. News & World Report. “The unavoidable reality, however, is that driving skills deteriorate as we age … and by 2030, according to U.S. Census Bureau data cited by AAA, one in four drivers will be age 65 or older.”
==>>Exercises To Improve eyesight
Top Eye Exercises: Learn Easy
Eye Exercises That Have Amazing Success
To Improving Vision!
The bad news, however, is that many states are beginning to revamp their vision requirements for older drivers in advance of the coming “gray wave” of Baby Boomers.
Currently, driving regulations are decided on a state-by-state basis. Although the standard vision requirement for most states is 20/40 in at least one eye with or without eyeglasses, the crucial variable of how often that measurement is updated with the Department of Motor Vehicles is, well, all over the map. Some examples:
* Arizona issues a lifetime license up to age 65, but applicants must come into a license office every 12 years to apply for a duplicate license and have their vision rechecked.
* In Florida (where the standard vision requirement is only 20/70 in at least one eye with or without eyeglasses, presumably because of that state’s large elderly population), applicants may renew by mail twice if they have a clean driving record and may not undergo vision screening for a period of 18 years.
* In Iowa, initial and renewal drivers must take and pass a vision test to be licensed. The renewal cycle is every 4 years, up to age 70, when the renewal cycle is reduced to 2 years.
* In Vermont, only upon initial application for a driver’s license (but not upon renewal) must a vision test be given.
Yet the new reality of not only a growing senior population, but also the stuttering economy, which is forcing many to put off retirement and keep working into their 70s, is forcing states to rethink the rules.
USA Today reports that “California is analyzing results of a pilot project in which drivers who failed an initial written or vision test were required to take additional tests, sometimes including an eye exam and a road test.”
Further, “Maryland state law allows police, doctors, and residents, including relatives, to refer potentially unfit drivers to the Motor Vehicle Administration’s Medical Advisory Board. Police refer about 700 people annually; about 60% of them are drivers over age 65.”
In Maine, the interval between license renewals was shortened from six years to four years after age 62 and a vision check is required with each renewal. And a 2004 Florida law requiring that older drivers pass a vision test before getting their license renewed has helped cut the death rate among drivers 80 and older by 17%.
Of course, knowing when to give up driving is a sticky issue. The Bangor Daily News notes that “the big difference between the elderly and the rest of the population is that the elderly often do not realize their driving skills are deteriorating.”
AAA has designed a program, “Roadwise Review: A Tool to Help Seniors Drive Safely Longer,” that measures eight physical and mental abilities shown to be the strongest predictors of crash risk among older drivers and provides feedback to guide the user’s decision about their ability to drive safely. Of those eight, half relate to vision, including High-Contrast Visual Acuity, needed to identify pavement markings, as well as detect many types of hazards in or near the road, and Low-Contrast Visual Acuity, which is vital for driving in low-visibility conditions such as dusk, rain, or fog.
So the next time you’re too tired to do your Rebuild Your Vision exercises or you’re debating about whether to include you r Ocu-Plus Formula vitamins in your food budget, think about your aging eyes and remember, driving is not a right, it’s a priviledge.
Eye Nutrition Fact: Vitamin E and your Vision
Because of its antioxidant action, vitamin E helps protect against cataracts and age-related macular degeneration . A clinical study has showed that taking vitamin E can cut the risk of developing cataracts in half. Another study also showed that the combination of vitamins C and E had a protective effect against UV rays.
The richest source of vitamin E is wheat germ. Dark green leafy vegetables (such as spinach, kale, and collard greens), sweet potatoes, avocado, asparagus, and yams are also good sources of vitamin E.
If you’re not already taking it, our Ocu-Plus Formul a contains 17 nutrients that research has shown to support and protect your eyes, including vitamin E. Learn more at:
Technorati