After receiving a diagnosis that affects your vision, it can take time to understand what it may mean for your everyday life. Changes to vision can gradually affect activities you rely on, including reading, recognising faces, and driving. For many people, the thought of stopping driving can feel confronting, especially if you feel like the decision might one day be made for you. It can feel like a complete loss of independence but recognising early signs that your vision is affecting your driving, starting the conversation with your support network early, and exploring gradual changes or alternative transportation can help you stay in control and and minimise loss of independence. It can be a difficult and emotional choice, and feelings of grief or fear are completely valid, but early intervention allows you to take time to approach this decision on your own terms, make the safest and best decision for you, and make the transition feel more manageable, emotionally and practically.

Signs that your vision is affecting your driving

You may notice that changes in your vision are beginning to influence your driving. These shifts may appear gradually but recognising signs early can help you stay in control of making a decision that feels right for you. 

If your vision is starting to affect your driving, you may:

• Struggle to read signs,
• Find it difficult to see in poor lighting,
• Find it hard to cope with glare,
• Miss cars, pedestrians, or cyclists in your peripheral vision; or
• Have trouble judging depth or distance (for example, when merging or parking).

You may also subconsciously experience behavioural or emotional shifts, like:

• Feeling unsafe, nervous, or losing confidence while driving,
• Requiring extra concentration in situations that once felt routine,
• Avoiding driving in difficult conditions (for example. at night, in rain, or in heavy traffic),
• Relying on passengers to point out hazards; or
• Having a family member or friend express concerns about your driving.

Noticing these signs and accepting what lifestyle changes may lie ahead can feel daunting, but your control increases when change isn’t abrupt, and deciding to make small changes and preparing for the future reinforces that this is your timeline.

Options to consider as you decide

After understanding the impact your vision has on your driving, the thought of stopping completely can be confronting. There are several options you can consider to help further assist your decision.

You can:

• Increase your safe driving habits, such as increasing your response time when driving and limit driving long distances and in difficult conditions,
• Explore whether a conditional licence is an option for you,
• Use public transport more often to increase confidence with alternative travel options,
• Reach out to your support network (for example, family, friends, or eye care professionals) to discuss your thoughts and concerns around deciding; or
• Set a future check-in date to reassess your situation.

Implementing these changes can help make the transition to stopping driving easier if or when the time comes, allowing you to maintain your independence throughout every stage of the process.

If or when you make the decision to stop driving

Coming to the decision to stop driving can feel discouraging. It can feel like a complete loss of independence, but there are many alternative travel options available to ensure you continue to manage your daily life confidently.

Some alternative travel options are:

• Public transport, read our ‘navigating public transport with low vision’ article for some useful tips,
• Community transport,
• Taxi and rideshare; or
• Family, friends, and others in your support network.

You may be eligible for transport subsidies for some of these options, read our 'transport subsidies’ page for more information.

Navigating the emotional impacts

Thinking about the possibility of stopping driving due to vision loss can have a profound impact on your emotional wellbeing. You may feel like driving is tied to your identity or worry that stopping means you will lose spontaneity or that you will become a burden to others. You may also experience anticipatory grief for how your decision may change your life moving forward. These are all understandable concerns for such a big lifestyle change, but steps can be taken to ease these points of stress. Having open communication with your support network can help you organise support that feels comfortable for everyone and slowly transitioning to alternative modes of transport can help you become comfortable with a new identity and help maintain your independence. This pre-planning and proactive action may help you understand your future better, helping decrease any pre-emptive grief.

If you wish to seek further support to navigate this decision, SeeWay offers access to free mental health support.

Stopping driving is a big adjustment, and it can be an incredibly difficult decision to make. It’s emotional, and it’s okay to grieve, but it does not have to mean losing your independence. Independence is about decision making and deciding what is the best and safest for you is not losing control, it’s exercising it.

For more information

Always speak to your GP or eye care professional.