As I wrote a while back, being blind in one eye changes how you drive. Because of a reduced range of vision and diminished depth perception, there just are some things you can’t do as easily as someone with vision in both eyes.
Fortunately, there are things you can do as a driver to cope, and I addressed that in my other post. Little things like, say, scouting out a trip or situation can help make things easier.
I also think the choice of a car is a really important thing to think about. Cars have come a long way just in recent years, and there are certain characteristics and features that I think are incredibly useful for a monocular driver.
Compact Size
Not everyone will agree with me, but I am most at home with a compact vehicle. It gives me more confidence when I have to slip into small spaces, whether it’s a tight garage, a small parking space, or a tight window in traffic.
Good Visibility
This is fundamental. Some vehicles have outstanding visibility, and others have terrible blind spots, like ones created by pylons on the car. It’s not always even the big vehicles that have this problem: small cars can, too. Whenever I think about buying cars, I like to research visibility, and when I test drive that’s also a big thing I look at.
A Quality Backup Camera
Backup cameras are now required in the United States, but not all backup cameras are the same. Some screens are small and hard to read, and I’ve even read reports of backup cameras that stop working properly. Having a backup camera that you can see well and is reliable can be helpful in making sure you know how much space you’ve got between you and the cars behind you. Most backup cameras now also are panoramic, so you can see traffic coming from both directions.
Simple example: a lot of backup cameras have guide lines on them that show both the space your car operates as well as how far you have to the objects behind you. (Many cameras now also have lines that show you what direction your tires will take you.) Those lines can be really helpful for making sure you don’t hit things behind you or on either side of you.
Crash Avoidance Technology
More and more car companies are now offering vehicles with crash avoiding technology. Each year the technology gets better, maybe to the point where we’ll have self-driving cars someday. We don’t yet, but there are some great technologies out there that can really make a difference for a monocular driver. Some car companies offer these technologies standard, while for others the equipment is optional.
These crash avoidance technologies include adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning and assistance, and pre-collision braking. All of them can be really useful for a driver blind in one eye.
Adaptive cruise is great for keeping space with the car in front of you, making sure that what you think is a good distance really is. Lane departure is helpful if you’re misjudging how far out of your lane you are (something I’ve sometimes done with larger vehicles). And pre-collision braking, which is great for anyone, is a nice extra set of eyes to help you stop your car in the event that the car in front of you slams on the brakes. Some pre-collision technology even spots pedestrians.
None of these are substitutes for paying attention, but having a computer copilot helping you out is incredibly helpful.
Blind Spot Detection with Rear Cross-Traffic Alert
For some reason, blind-spot detection is usually seen as a separate technology from crash avoidance. I’m not sure why, and maybe someday soon it will be part of the same package. But for most cars it’s separate. It’s also maybe one of the most important things a person with monocular vision can get in a new car.
Here’s how it works: radar from both sides of the car detects a car coming in on your blind side. A light on the side-view mirror lights up, letting you know someone is there. When the car passes, the light goes out.
Cross traffic alert, which is available in some cars with blind spot monitoring, uses the blind spot radar to send a warning if a car is passing by while you’re backing out of a parking spot. This is incredibly helpful, since being blind in one eye does reduce how much you can see when you’re in reverse.
A Final Thought
I’ve been involved in a couple of accidents since I started driving. One happened when I backed into a moving car pulling out of a parking spot. The other happened when I rear-ended a vehicle that stopped suddenly while I was looking over my shoulder trying to merge. Blind spot monitoring would have saved me from the first accident, and pre-collision braking might have saved me from the second. It’s good that those things exist now.
Between them and some of the other suggestions I mentioned, I think it’s possible to get a car that can really reduce the risk of an accident for a monocular driver.
Thank you for your comments . In the summer of 2018, A blood clot to my right eye destroyed the central vision. I have had a hard time adjusting but I still drive. I have a Kia Sorrento. It does have the lights on side view mirrors which is nice. Since it is a small SUV, I’m higher and can see around me better than in a compact car.. Like you said, paying attention is smart. No dreaming while driving!! I am also deaf. Have a cochlear implant, left side only do being blind in one head, deaf innoth ears, it’s a balancing act. Thanks be to God , He had His angels around me. Have a great day!!
i am 46 years old and have not driven since i was 21. i had had two accidents in one year and could no longer afford the insurance. my wife passed away in February. I got my driver’s license by going back to my home town where it was easy to pass because i was so familiar. I live in a big city on a busy road. I have a thirteen year old and was left with my wife’s H3 Hummmer. I have had THREE accidents in the last two months. Once when I was unfamiliar with the road and turned in front of an oncoming car. I missed hitting them by inches. The second time was when I was driving and staying in my lane, but the person on my left was running out of lane and we bumped tires. This resulted in 500$ worth of repairs on my part. I had not gotten the other person’s info because, even though I know I was staing in my lane, I felt guilty Then I was stuck with the bill. The final time was just the other day. I still don’t know how it happened and this is really messing with my confidence. I was pulling out to turn left. I was not rushing, I ‘ve learned not to do that ever. I pulled out and the next thing I knew I had hit a guy’s bumper and it came off. I am so messed up by this because I don’t understand how I hit them when I was so sure about pulling out. I’m not sure what to do. I am so grateful, though that you have this blog because I have struggled with living with one eye my whole life. Any suggestions you have would be greatly appreciated. I don’t know if I should just get disability and rely on Ubers, or what. I’m a teacher and I own a house, but I don’t have a lot of resources financially or with family/ friends.
First off, there’s no substitute for practice. You’ve been away from driving for a long time, so the best thing you can do is continue to get comfortable behind the wheel. Maybe going to an empty parking lot just to get a feel for what you’re driving could be useful.
Secondly, an H3 is a big vehicle with not-so-great visibility. If there was any way at all to trade it or sell it and get something smaller, it would probably make your life easier. I’m a big fan of crossover SUVs, but a small sedan might well be an improvement, too. New cars have great crash avoidance technology, but an older car with a smaller profile will be easier to fit in smaller spaces.
Finally, don’t be afraid to use whoever is with you to help you, including your 13-year-old. It’s okay to say “is there anyone in that lane?” or ask them to keep an eye out for you. I do that all the time, and I’ve been driving for decades. Use what you’ve got.
I love thIs blog. So incredibly helpful to me. I have an issue with the retina in my left eye. I’ve had three operations in the last six months and it just ain’t working. I also have severe myopia as well. At this point I have to come to terms with the fact that I pretty much don’t have the use of my left eye. I have finally succumbed to using a cane, albeit pink, but driving is the most important thing if I’m going to maintain independence and a full life. I am 69 years old, I have been driving all of my life and your blog has made me hopeful and perhaps confident that I can do it again. Very grateful to you.
Thank you! My son is 17 and just got his permit. He has 20/20 vision in his left eye, but 20/200 in his right due to his blood pressure spiking from a kidney issue 5 years ago. His kidney issue is now under control, but the damage in his eye remains. If you have any other hints or guidance, please send the information our way! Thanks!
I just had maxillary sinus cancer surgery and my right eye removed. I have a 2018 Honda CRV with all the latest tech for cameras. I was wondering if anyone has seen a camera that can be installed with a led screen on my dash that will show traffic always in the right lane. I still have a ways to go before getting back out driving. Practice will be the best in a big parking lot for a few times. Driving has been my favorite past time. LOVE getting in car and going.