If you have trouble seeing in dark or dim settings, or your eyes struggle to adjust to changes in light levels, you may suffer from nyctalopia, also known as night blindness. As you can imagine, night blindness can cause challenges when it comes to driving safely after sundown–including resulting in serious accidents. I’ll tell you more about night blindness and how to manage it below, and share proven safety tips from our New York car accident attorneys at Buttafuoco & Associates.
What is Night Blindness?
Night blindness is a condition where you have difficulty seeing in dim or dark areas, or your eyes struggle to adjust to changing light levels. Interestingly, night blindness is not a condition of its own–but, rather, a symptom of other diseases that afflict the eyes.
In order to see in low light, our retinas and irises must both be properly functioning. Retinas contain light-detecting cells known as cones and rods, which help our irises widen or narrow appropriately when light shifts to allow the proper amount of light to enter your eyes. If your retina or iris doesn’t respond quickly or correctly, you could struggle to see well in dim conditions.
What Causes Night Blindness?
There are many potential causes of night blindness, and only a trained ophthalmologist can accurately diagnose the condition. Cataracts, glaucoma, laser vision correction surgery (LASIK), as well as genetic diseases and vitamin A deficiency can all cause night blindness.
Many of these conditions are treatable or curable, especially cataracts and vitamin A deficiency. Genetic diseases are not always treatable, but you can limit the impact of night blindness by working closely with your doctor.
What are the Complications of Night Blindness?
If you don’t treat night blindness, your sight may suffer in daylight as well as darkness–for example, you may not be able to see colors properly, or experience blurry vision. As you can imagine, this can cause significant disruptions to your life.
Night driving is severely impacted by night blindness if the cause is left untreated. It is best to avoid driving at twilight, when the light is shifting, and after dark–especially if you cannot differentiate between the dark itself and light sources like other vehicles’ headlights or street lights. If you notice that you are struggling to see in the dark, don’t risk it: avoid driving until you see an eye care practitioner for a diagnosis. If you cause a car accident because of a condition you were aware of, you could be held liable.
Night Blindness and Car Accidents
If you suffer from night blindness, your risk of causing a car accident increases significantly. While there are not specific statistics available about the number of car accidents that night blindness causes, any condition that obstructs or reduces your vision can obviously have serious impacts on your safety while driving.
Some people with night blindness are especially sensitive to glare from oncoming headlights, which can make it hard to pay attention to the road. You may also have trouble driving on roads where street lighting is erratic.
Night blindness can also result in decreased visibility, delayed reactions to hazards, inability to read road signs, and impaired judgment–any of which can cause a collision and serious injuries to the victim. This could result in your being considered negligent in a court of law, which can result in severe penalties, jail time, and more, depending on the nature of the accident.
How to Drive Safely at Night with Night Blindness
First and foremost, invest in regular eye exams to get to the root cause of your night blindness and get it treated. If you have myopia or astigmatism, wearing prescription eyeglasses or contacts is a must–often this will improve your night vision so that driving is safe again.
The usual precautions all drivers should take should be taken even more seriously by those with night blindness. Decrease your speed when driving at night, ideally to a speed where you are able to stop within the distance your headlights illuminate. Also increase your following distance so you have additional time to respond if there is a change in road conditions or light.
Simple car maintenance can also help with night blindness: clean your windshield and headlights regularly, as keeping them clean can improve visibility. If your car has anti-glare features, such as adaptive headlights or rearview mirrors that automatically dim, make sure to use them. This can help you better respond to glare from oncoming vehicles.
Sometimes using public transportation or asking for a ride are the safest choice. Not only will driving at night put you in danger, but it can harm others as well.
If you are injured in an accident, remember that it may not always be entirely your fault, even if you suffer from night blindness. Call Buttafuoco & Associates to learn more about your rights from a New York car accident attorney.
Get in touch at 1-800-NOW-HURT for a free consultation.
