| Popis: |
Hessa Almatar,1,2 Suhailah Alamri,1,2 Reema Alduhayan,1,2 Balsam Alabdulkader,3 Bayan Albdah,2,4 Amritha Stalin,5 Barrak Alsomaie,1,2 Ahmed Almazroa1,2 1Department of Imaging Research, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Riyadh, 11481, Saudi Arabia; 2King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, 14611, Saudi Arabia; 3Department of Optometry and Vision Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, 12372, Saudi Arabia; 4Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, King Abdullah International Medical Research center, Riyadh, 11481, Saudi Arabia; 5School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, CanadaCorrespondence: Ahmed Almazroa, Department of Imaging Research King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Riyadh, 11481, Saudi Arabia, Tel +9 661 1429 4324, Email AlMazroaAh@ngha.med.saPurpose: The incidence of road traffic accidents (RTAs) is dramatically increasing worldwide. Consequently, driving and licensing authorities have instituted strict rules and regulations, such as vision standards, restrictions on drunk driving, seat belt usage, and speeding, for driving safety. This study aimed to summarize the global visual standards for driving license issuing and renewal and investigate the effect of driving safety laws on RTA-related death rates in different countries.Methods: The study gathered data on visual standards for driving licenses from reliable sources and extracted enforcement scores (drunk driving, seat belt usage, and speeding) and RTA-related death rates from the World Health Organization status report on road safety. The Wilcoxon test explored the association between visual standards and RTA-related death rates, while the Kruskal–Wallis test analyzed the relationship between visual functions and death rates, as well as driving safety enforcement scores and RTA-related death rates.Results: The analysis was conducted on 71 countries and 50 states within the United States out of the 193 countries listed by the United Nations. It was found that 116 countries and states required a minimum VA range of 6/6– 6/18, while 91 countries and states mandated a similar range for one-eyed drivers. VF testing for driving licenses was necessary in 77 countries and states. No significant association was observed between VA or VF testing and RTA-related death rates. However, countries that conducted more visual function tests demonstrated lower rates of RTA-related fatalities. Furthermore, RTA-related death rates were significantly associated with speeding, drunk driving, and seat belt laws.Conclusion: Implementing clear policies regarding vision requirements, maintaining strict rules, and promoting law enforcement on speeding, drunk driving, and seat belt usage are crucial for improving road safety. These measures should be prioritized by driving and licensing authorities worldwide to mitigate the escalating incidence of RTAs.Keywords: traffic collisions, traffic death, vehicle accident, vision standards for driving, vision requirements for driving, driving safety laws |
