Blind and Visually Impaired Community
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Partially blind wanting to know about driving (self.Blind)
submitted by selllowbuyhighrepeat
Just started with reddit and learned about this sub. So about 5 years ago I gave up driving because I began losing vision to some fun thing called LHON. (If any of you have it I’d love for you to message me!) well it lost to a point that I couldn’t see much and I thought I’d go completely blind, as most LHON people do. Well I didn’t I’m a sort of anomaly. My left eye went blind, but it’s more of a ‘seeing through a shower curtain blind.’ Basically it helps me navigate on my left side even though it’s not perfect. My right eye is “perfect vision” straight on. It sees 20/20, but has slight blind spots inner nasal.
I gave up driving because I obviously couldn’t drive with this going on. I thought I’d be going completely blind. But I didn’t. I got to a certain point and it stopped. I’ve learned how to deal with my vision with different things like throwing a ball up and down and many other things. I’ve got to a point where I rejoined martial arts and am now better than I used to be. I can do everything normal except for driving. Nobody besides my close friends know I am blind in one, and partially in the other eye.
I’m curious to know what people’s thoughts are on me possibly entering the driving world. I’m going into this not expecting people to say I should go for it. I’m more curious to see what people think. Would you think I could? I live in a smallish city. Not much traffic if at all, and if I ever drive long distance it wouldn’t be difficult due to my vision not being trouble with staying on a single lane.
Examples of my vision are: I teach martial arts. None of my students know about my vision and I constantly spar with them. I can see every punch/kick/whatever unless they’re super good in which case I’m confident normal people wouldn’t see either.
I ride a bike everywhere. I’ve been doing this for four years now and have never got in any accidents. I’ve stopped a few because of other bike ride s being reckless.
I’d like people to push me into any direction. For now I don’t have a license. I’d like to try driving again because after a few years I think i have a bit more confidence. But what do you think?
I gave up driving because I obviously couldn’t drive with this going on. I thought I’d be going completely blind. But I didn’t. I got to a certain point and it stopped. I’ve learned how to deal with my vision with different things like throwing a ball up and down and many other things. I’ve got to a point where I rejoined martial arts and am now better than I used to be. I can do everything normal except for driving. Nobody besides my close friends know I am blind in one, and partially in the other eye.
I’m curious to know what people’s thoughts are on me possibly entering the driving world. I’m going into this not expecting people to say I should go for it. I’m more curious to see what people think. Would you think I could? I live in a smallish city. Not much traffic if at all, and if I ever drive long distance it wouldn’t be difficult due to my vision not being trouble with staying on a single lane.
Examples of my vision are: I teach martial arts. None of my students know about my vision and I constantly spar with them. I can see every punch/kick/whatever unless they’re super good in which case I’m confident normal people wouldn’t see either.
I ride a bike everywhere. I’ve been doing this for four years now and have never got in any accidents. I’ve stopped a few because of other bike ride s being reckless.
I’d like people to push me into any direction. For now I don’t have a license. I’d like to try driving again because after a few years I think i have a bit more confidence. But what do you think?
-shacklebolt- 12 points 4y ago
That is seriously a conversation you need to be having with an ophthalmologist who is very familiar with the combined impact of your field of vision and visual acuity loss.
Nobody on the internet can tell you that it's safe to drive with your condition.
Nobody on the internet can tell you that it's safe to drive with your condition.
pokersnek 5 points 4y ago
Each state is different rules for driving with a visual impairment. For Illinois, you have to have 20/40 vision with glasses or bioptic driving glasses and a certain degree of visual field (120, I believe). Wisconsin says no bioptics. Indiana says something else.
You would need to get evaluated for your visual field loss by a specialist.
One thing to think about is this: you can be the safest driver out there. Even if you remove all the “idiots” from the road, accidents happen. A friend of mine lost all but a small amount of peripheral vision. She had the same attitude toward riding her bike. She figured that people would see her and get out of her way. Until she nearly hit another blind person. She wiped out bad, Realized that she knew the other person, and slinked away before they could recognize her. She stopped riding her bike after that, ashamed at the damage she could have caused. Instead of thinking of other drivers as idiots, what if they’re trying to get away with driving when they’re not supposed to? What if they have a physical impairment? A brain injury that changes their reaction speed? A broken foot, so they can’t put pressure on the pedals? Should they be driving? Maybe, maybe not. That’s not my job to decide. But, states have laws about this for reasons.
You would need to get evaluated for your visual field loss by a specialist.
One thing to think about is this: you can be the safest driver out there. Even if you remove all the “idiots” from the road, accidents happen. A friend of mine lost all but a small amount of peripheral vision. She had the same attitude toward riding her bike. She figured that people would see her and get out of her way. Until she nearly hit another blind person. She wiped out bad, Realized that she knew the other person, and slinked away before they could recognize her. She stopped riding her bike after that, ashamed at the damage she could have caused. Instead of thinking of other drivers as idiots, what if they’re trying to get away with driving when they’re not supposed to? What if they have a physical impairment? A brain injury that changes their reaction speed? A broken foot, so they can’t put pressure on the pedals? Should they be driving? Maybe, maybe not. That’s not my job to decide. But, states have laws about this for reasons.
[deleted] 2 points 4y ago
[deleted]
anarcap 1 points 4y ago
Cars are getting safer by the day. Soon you'll be able to drive.
enzwificritic 1 points 4y ago
driving? ask your state.
iheartbaconsalt 1 points 4y ago
Can't hurt to try. My vision's like 20/400 in the center of the good eye, and gets worse out of that area, and the left is just derp (moves around so much it's impossible to read with it, never get past the E F P on an eye chart), SO, I memorized all the major eye charts. I walked into the DMV at 18, tried to look legit, aced some of the test, but then failed at some left-right reading thing through a set of goggles.. told em' I had one good eye, but still wasn't good enough. They do make stuff to help, like fresnel lenses you can put in the corners of the windshield/rear for making reading signs easier. I used to drive anyway, and carried a monocular to catch the exits I needed, and that was before in-car navigation/smartphones, so it was extra fun. The Texas Commission for the Blind at the time had tons of resources for mods, but I haven't looked into that in over 20 years. Just dying for self-driving cheap rides. For 8 years I was paying $400 a month for a taxi to work, and that's if I had no extra stops. Then I just hired some college kid to do it for half that, and now live in a tiny town with no good transportation, and the wife is losing her sight now! (hopefully something removable like cataracts)
girlfromthebasement 1 points 4y ago
My vision is slightly worse than yours and I am legally able to drive in the state of Wisconsin. As others have mentioned, it varies from state to state and you should consult a professional about it. I am totally blind in my left eye and it does affect my driving.
B-dub31 1 points 4y ago
I began losing my vision at age 38 after driving for over 20 years. I drove with vision in only one eye for about 8 months. In retrospect, I probably should have never been doing it, and I even had special training in defensive driving because I worked in public safety and responded with lights and sirens occasionally. You should consult with an ophthalmologist before attempting to drive because you have a moral obligation to others as well as potentially opening yourself up to civil liabilities.
wheresmyglasses12 1 points 4y ago
Just a note, if you think you might want to brush up on your driving skills, there are driving schools for people with disabilities. I got my license after working with one, and they were super cool because they could tell the difference between stuff that happened because I was a new driver and things I did because of my vision and gave me tips accordingly. If you have vocational rehab services, they might pay for it.
Although I don't drive now because I went to college in the city, didn't take a car and got a subway card, and having an anxiety disorder makes me quite nervous about driving.
Although I don't drive now because I went to college in the city, didn't take a car and got a subway card, and having an anxiety disorder makes me quite nervous about driving.
Pacificem 1 points 4y ago
I have corrected 20/20 vision in my left eye and my right eye sees as if through a (very steamy) shower curtain and I drive. I lost my vision suddenly and unexpectedly a little over a year ago (central retinal arterial occlusion) and it will never improve and never get worse. I started driving again a week later and never considered my vision loss an issue. But it sounds like you might have a bit of a different situation. As most of the people here observed, it’s a very individual thing.
selllowbuyhighrepeat [OP] 1 points 4y ago
Thank you for your response. Unfortunately I’m a “special case.” As in my reason for blindness is rare. But for me being not as blind as others is insanely rare. As in 1 in like every single person with my condition. My doctors didn’t know I could ride a bike. So it’s difficult to rely on them, ya know? I wanna be my own person instead of what group they put me into.
-shacklebolt- 2 points 4y ago
Yes, but we are extraordinarily less qualified than your doctors. They are the ones who can tell you (or refer you to the appropriate specialist to tell you) if you are legally able to drive and realistically safe to drive.
bennetfoxy 1 points 4y ago
I find myself at that visual acuity line of driving and I've spent many hours thinking about it and I know I would be a great defensive driver but it's that slit second I won't see something in my periphery and someone will come along and slam into me.
Another thought: It's not me I'm worried about, it's these other idiots tootling along at 80mph slamming into me since they're not paying attention and I'm right there. This really gets me on the interstate.
I've always said if I do drive, I'm gonna get a big C80 GMC Dump Truck. Who's going to be silly enough to pull out in front of it? :D
Another thought: It's not me I'm worried about, it's these other idiots tootling along at 80mph slamming into me since they're not paying attention and I'm right there. This really gets me on the interstate.
I've always said if I do drive, I'm gonna get a big C80 GMC Dump Truck. Who's going to be silly enough to pull out in front of it? :D
selllowbuyhighrepeat [OP] 2 points 4y ago
That is my exact thought! Thank you for commenting. I’m at that point where if nobody was on the road but safe drivers I’d be fine. Those idiots that do stuff super fast would be my issue. And who will they blame? The partially blind guy.
bennetfoxy 1 points 4y ago
Bingo. :)
Thank you for finally understanding my dilemmas! This is the reason why I have a bus pass (and hate the bus sometimes) but I don't have any other choices. We did have those fun e-scooter things and I liked zipping around on them and they were nice since I could fill the gaps left by the local transit system but our local bureau of transportation has removed them and is in the process of "evaluating the collected data" from their use here for six months.
I forgot to share the huge irony in my life. I'm functionally blind but I grew up building and restoring classic cars in the family body shop.
Thank you for finally understanding my dilemmas! This is the reason why I have a bus pass (and hate the bus sometimes) but I don't have any other choices. We did have those fun e-scooter things and I liked zipping around on them and they were nice since I could fill the gaps left by the local transit system but our local bureau of transportation has removed them and is in the process of "evaluating the collected data" from their use here for six months.
I forgot to share the huge irony in my life. I'm functionally blind but I grew up building and restoring classic cars in the family body shop.
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