Prevalence of refraction errors and color blindness in heavy vehicle drivers

AIM: To investigate the frequency of eye disorders in heavy vehicle drivers.METHODS: A cross-sectional type study was conducted between November 2004 and September 2006 in 200 driver and 200 non-driver persons.A complete ophthalmologic examination was performed,including visual acuity,and dilated examination of the posterior segment.We used the auto refractometer for determining refractive errors.RESULTS: According to eye examination results,the prevalence of the refractive error was 21.5% and 31.3% in study and control groups respectively (P <0.05).The most common type of refraction error in the study group was myopic astigmatism (8.3%) while in the control group simple myopia (12.8%).Prevalence of dyschromatopsia in the rivers,control group and total group was 2.2%,2.8% and 2.6% respectively.CONCLUSION: A considerably high number of drivers are in lack of optimal visual acuity.Refraction errors in drivers may impair the traffic security.