As people live longer and suburban sprawl increases, a greater number of older adults continue to drive. This has led to a growing concern about how glaucoma—an eye disease that causes vision loss, particularly among older adults—affects driving safety. Glaucoma currently affects more than 60 million people around the world, and that number is expected to nearly double by 2040. Because driving depends heavily on good vision, understanding how glaucoma affects drivers is important for keeping roads safe.*

How Glaucoma Affects Vision for Driving

Glaucoma impacts more than just sharpness of sight. While visual acuity (how clearly someone sees letters or shapes) is often tested, it doesn’t strongly predict car crashes. Loss of side vision—called visual field loss—is more closely linked to driving problems. People with worse visual field loss in one eye often do worse on driving tests and have more collisions. 

Other vision problems caused by glaucoma that can also raish the risk of crashes are:

• Poor contrast sensitivity (ability to distinguish objects from their backgrounds, especially in low-contrast scenarios like dim light or fog), 
• Trouble with glare (uncomfortably strong light, such as bright headlights), and 
• Slower visual reaction times (the time it takes to perceive and react to a visual stimulus, measured by a test called Useful Field of View).

Different Driving Laws Around the World

Driving laws for people with vision problems are not the same everywhere. In the European Union and the UK, there are strict rules about how wide and clear a person’s vision must be, and doctors must report patients with certain kinds of glaucoma. In other countries like Japan and India, the rules are not as strict or specific. 

In the U.S., each state makes its own rules. Some states don’t even check vision when drivers renew their licenses online, which could be risky for public safety. Some studies show that states with in-person renewal and vision testing have fewer accidents among older drivers.

Risks, Testing, and Possible Solutions

Most research shows that people with glaucoma are more likely to get into accidents, but not all studies agree. Driving tests, either on the road or in simulators, also show that glaucoma makes it harder to drive safely. 

Many people with glaucoma stop driving or avoid more challenging driving situations like night driving, which can lower risk but also lead to loneliness or depression. According to the authors of a January 2025 research review, possible solutions may include:

• Special driving training, 
• Limited licenses, and 
• Better vision testing during license renewals.

The aim of all solutions, they say, should be to keep drivers safe while supporting their freedom. Check with your state’s department of motor vehicles to learn about its rules and training options, and ask your doctor for recommendations about your safety as a driver. 

If you need to stop driving, you can check with your local senior center, government office, or Area Agency on Aging to learn about free or low-cost alternative transportation options.

*Kontos, M. and Robinson, J. L. (2025, January 7). Glaucoma and Driving: a Review. Current Ophthalmology Reports. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40135-024-00328-z 

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