Abstract
In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of alcohol intake on visual function and driving performance, as well as on the relationship between these. A total of 40 healthy participants took part in three experimental sessions: one baseline session and two further sessions after consuming two different quantities of alcohol (300 ml and 450 ml of red wine). The breath alcohol content (BrAC) was measured using a breath analyzer. The contrast sensitivity and retinal straylight due to the forward intraocular scattering were measured to characterize visual function, and driving performance was assessed in three different scenarios using a driving simulator. The results showed a deterioration in contrast sensitivity and retinal straylight after drinking alcohol, in addition to an impaired ability to drive, especially for the highest alcohol intake. We also observed that the deteriorated driving performance was a function of the contrast sensitivity and retinal straylight under the effects of alcohol, indicating that these visual variables can partially predict driving performance in these conditions.
Highlights
In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of alcohol intake on visual function and driving performance, as well as on the relationship between these
The participants were assigned to two groups according to the breath alcohol content (BrAC) level they attained in the aAC2 condition (Fig. 1)
It has been reported that simulators are effective for assessing driving performance[62], more reckless and careless behavior has been observed in simulated driving with respect to on-road d riving[63]. Both visual and driving performance were impaired following alcohol consumption, especially when considering moderate or high doses, where the BrAC level is above the legal limit of 0.25 mg/l for driving
Summary
We aimed to investigate the effects of alcohol intake on visual function and driving performance, as well as on the relationship between these. The contrast sensitivity and retinal straylight due to the forward intraocular scattering were measured to characterize visual function, and driving performance was assessed in three different scenarios using a driving simulator. We observed that the deteriorated driving performance was a function of the contrast sensitivity and retinal straylight under the effects of alcohol, indicating that these visual variables can partially predict driving performance in these conditions. In addition to visual quality, another major factor affecting normal driving performance is alcohol consumption, which is considered to be one of the major global public health problems, accounting for more than 5% of all deaths each y ear[16] This legal drug impairs visual performance, including contrast sensitivity. Related, there is no information on the effects of alcohol use on retinal straylight, and its influence on the ability to drive
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