AMD and Driving: When Is It Safe?

Medically reviewed by Andrew Greenberg, MD

Whether you've been newly diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) or have had the condition for a while, one pressing question you may have is how long it is safe to drive.

Macular degeneration damages your central vision. As it progresses, it leaves blank or distorted areas of vision that can eventually threaten driving safety. You can continue to drive as usual early in the disease process. But over time, driving will become an issue.

Learn here when driving is safe and when it's possibly not, how macular degeneration symptoms affect driving, vision aids that can help, and alternatives to driving.

Driving With Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)

Any condition that can affect your vision has the potential to affect your driving.

Drive When It's Safe

You want to be sure that if you drive after an AMD diagnosis, you are doing so responsibly. Keep in mind the following:

• If your AMD was detected early by an eye exam without any changes to your vision, you should have no problem safely driving.

• State regulations determine the legal range of vision for your area. The guidelines will include requirements for each eye on its own and both together.

• If one of your eyes is unaffected by AMD, many states allow you to continue to drive. But driving safely will require turning your head to get a full view of the road. Also, know that your depth perception will also be compromised.

Driving With Dry vs. Wet AMD Symptoms

The two types of AMD are dry and wet. Which type you have will impact your ability to drive.

With dry AMD, in which the macula (an area at the center of the light-sensitive retina) thins and deteriorates, there may be no symptoms for some time or maybe some slight blurriness as the condition progresses.

At any point, however, dry AMD can morph into wet AMD, which occurs when abnormal blood vessels form in the eye. Late symptoms of either wet or dry AMD that can interfere with driving include:

• Straight lines appearing wavy

• Blurry central vision

• Blank spots in the vision

• Muted colors

• Difficulty seeing in low light

When It's Possibly Unsafe

Even if you have been a cautious driver for years, you may need to modify your driving or consider whether it is safe for you to be behind the wheel at all as AMD progresses.

Even early in the disease, you may want to modify driving at certain times of the day. For example, those with AMD may require more light to see well. It may not be safe to drive if the light is beginning to dim around dusk, at nighttime, or when the weather is bad, particularly in an unfamiliar or busy location.

Also, if your AMD has progressed to the point at which you have several blind spots or distorted areas of vision that would make it questionable to pass state regulations, it's likely time to forgo driving.

Even if you are still eligible to drive, you may not want to do so if you feel that you've reached the point where you might put somebody, including yourself, in jeopardy.

How AMD Symptoms Affect Drivers

Unfortunately, as macular degeneration progresses, visual symptoms that begin to advance and affect your ability to read and other aspects of your life may also start to infringe on your driving ability. Here are some of the ways your driving may be affected:

• Your central vision may become blurrier and less crisp than it once was.

• You may find yourself needing more light to see clearly.

• Colors may appear duller than in the past.

• It may be more difficult to read signs, see the road lines, or to spot pedestrians.

• You may have trouble adapting to different lighting conditions, such as driving into or out of a tunnel.

AMD Progression and Driving

If you have the dry form of AMD, it may take years for you to notice any symptoms or for it to affect your driving. With wet AMD, abnormal blood vessels that leak onto the light-sensitive retina at the back of the eye can quickly cause symptoms.

While treatment can slow wet AMD progression, ultimately, as symptoms mount, it may be necessary to stop driving.

AMD Vision Aids to Use While Driving

In some cases, technology such as special glasses can help you manage AMD symptoms while driving. Examples of technology that may improve safety include the following:

• Different colored glasses can improve contrast or those with special anti-reflective coatings that allow more light in.

• Bioptic telescope glasses can aid distance vision in those experiencing some central vision loss, making things appear bigger and closer. Street or highway signs, for example, may be easier to read.

• E-Scoop lenses can assist those with AMD to see better while driving with the aid of magnification and by boosting contrast using a filter. These lenses also include a prism that can shift the light to a part of the macula with better function than the area already damaged by AMD.
  

But if this technology can no longer effectively compensate for your vision loss and it has become unsafe for you to drive, it is time for you to consider other ways to get where you need to go.

When to Consider Asking for Rides

If you are no longer comfortable driving or if you no longer meet the standards set by your state motor vehicles department, you need to consider handing over the responsibility of driving to someone else. This may mean setting up a network of family members and friends who can help get you where you want to go.

Consider the following ways of getting around:

• Cab or ride-share services (such as Uber or Lyft)

• Public transportation such as bus, subway, light rail, or train

• Paratransit services that offer door-to-door assistance to those with disabilities

• Walking to nearby destinations
  

Summary

Contending with AMD means understanding that the condition may eventually interfere with driving. It's important to watch your symptoms and understand your state's driving regulations.

Technology is available to help prolong your ability to drive. Also, if you are eventually sidelined, you can still get to the places you need by asking for rides or relying on other available transportation.

Read the original article on Verywell Health.