Does Wearing Contact Lenses Affect Driving Practice?
3 Answers
Wearing glasses or not actually makes little difference. Here are some driving precautions: 1. Slow down and observe when turning: Develop the habit of slowing down significantly when making turns (especially at intersections with bicycle lanes or pedestrian crossings)! Carefully observe the situation in bicycle lanes and pedestrian crossings, then proceed slowly. This applies to both urban and suburban driving. Actively yield to electric bikes in bicycle lanes and pedestrians on sidewalks. When making right turns in urban areas, give way to pedestrians and electric bikes at crosswalks, only proceeding slowly after confirming no potential hazards. 2. Slow down and look both ways at intersections: Cultivate the habit of looking left and right (while slowing down) when approaching intersections, regardless of traffic lights or whether your lane has a green light. Observe the traffic situation on the crossing roads, only accelerating through the intersection after confirming no vehicles are running red lights (also watch out for electric bikes as their small size makes them easy to overlook).
I think wearing contact lenses while practicing driving might cause some inaccuracies, especially for someone like me who has driven for many years and personally experienced such situations. Eyes tend to dry out under contacts, and vision can blur when exposed to air conditioning or direct sunlight, potentially distorting the view of distant traffic signals or rearview mirrors and affecting judgment. Compared to framed glasses, contacts offer a wider, unobstructed field of vision but are less stable. On bumpy roads or during focused reversing, excessive eye movement can increase discomfort. During the initial learning phase of driving, accurately perceiving distance and speed is crucial, and accumulated errors might lead to minor scrapes or delayed reactions. I recommend using eye drops before driving, keeping a bottle of lubricating eye drops in the car, or switching to framed glasses temporarily. Regular vision checks and prescription updates can also help avoid potential hazards.
When practicing driving with contact lenses, I felt slight visual inaccuracies and encountered similar issues while learning to drive. As I drove, my eyes started to sting and itch, and objects like the dashboard or blind spots seemed slightly distorted, especially under strong external light or in dry conditions from the car's air conditioning. This led to inaccurate distance judgment when reversing, and I almost hit a pillar once. Later, I tried wearing glasses with frames. Although the field of view was limited, the vision was clear and stable without any dryness issues. If contact lenses are a must, try to keep the car temperature moderate, avoid direct airflow from the AC, and take short breaks during driving to rest your eyes. Learning to drive is stressful enough—don’t let small details like glasses add to the trouble and affect safety during the initial stages.
