An eye patch can be placed over one eye for various reasons such as an infection or debris in the eye, or maybe you recently had surgery. No matter what the reason is, there are some precautions you can take when driving with an eye patch to ensure your safety, and the safety of those around you.
A couple things you can do to make driving with an eye patch safer include:
The first thing to do is take the vehicle into a parking lot where there are no cars, and practice driving with your eye patch on. It will take a little getting used to, so practice will help you adjust to the eye patch faster.
Make sure the vision in the eye without the patch is close to 20/20. Vision that is 20/20 means that anything that is 20 feet away you can see very clearly. One thing to take note of is you will not have the same depth perception, even if you have 20/20 vision.
Taking your depth perception into consideration, it is best to avoid tight spots and take extra care when parking your vehicle. The depth perception within 20 feet will be reduced and not as accurate as before you had your eye patch.
To help with blind spots and peripheral vision, mount fish-eye mirrors on your side rearview mirrors. These mirrors will help to eliminate blind spots. If the fish-eye mirrors are not enough, you can also try a large wide-angle rear-view mirror.
While you have your eye patch, try to avoid driving large vehicles such as SUVs and trucks. In addition, make sure the cars you drive have an automatic transmission. A manual transmission may be too much because of shifting and paying attention to the clutch. Keep driving simple by using a smaller vehicle with an automatic transmission.
If you wear glasses, make sure to wear them as your doctor recommends. It is important to protect your good eye and give it as much help as the eye needs. An anti-glare lens can help to ease the strain on your good eye as well.
Driving with an eye patch is not dangerous if you practice in an empty parking lot before going on the road. Get comfortable driving with the eye patch and make the correct adjustments to ensure you and those around you stay safe.
