VISION - Our Eyes Were Not Designed for Driving

GlassesAccording to John Sullivan, a RAF pilot, we are the result of hundreds of thousands of years of evolution. Our eyes, and the way that our brain processes the images that they receive, are very well suited to creeping up on unsuspecting antelopes and spotting threats such as sabre-toothed tigers. These threats are largely gone and they’ve been replaced by vehicles travelling towards us at high speeds. This, we’ve not yet adapted to deal with.

What an RAF pilot can teach us about being safe on the road discusses why we miss seeing motorcycles, bicycles and probably pedestrians as well. Who would have thought that the way our brains process what our eyes are seeing can hide other road users unless we are specifically scanning for their presence in our path. Peripheral vision is not enough to alert us to hazards.