Elderly people with macular degeneration were less likely to see
pedestrians in time to avoid hitting them in a driving
simulator, according to a new study. "In the UK and parts of
Europe, in order to have a licence, you need to be tested for
central blind spots, but in the US. you don't have to," lead
author Matthew Bronstad said. In his simulator test, people with
blind spots often could not respond in time to a hazardous
situation, said Dr Bronstad, an instructor of ophthalmology at
Harvard Medical School in Boston. About 1.75 million people in
the US, most over 65 years old, have central field loss,
according to a 2004 study. How the study was done For the
current test, 11 people with blind spots of various sizes to the
left or right of centre, where pedestrians and road hazards are
likely to appear, drove in a simulator for 90 minutes at the
Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Boston. For comparison,
another 11 people without vision loss also took the driving
test. As the drivers travelled at 30 miles per