Youth would be an ideal state if it came a little later in life.

           -Herbert Henry Asquith (1852-1928)

Young Bioptic Driver Issues

Younger Patients: Some young patients may be timid and fearful of the driving process. Their vision loss has been emphasized all their life and now they are being told they might be able to drive. If this is the case, we suggest that family not pushed them into driving too early. Let them mature for a few years. A 20 year old is often much more mature than a 16 year old.

Young individuals who are highly motivated to drive and have good maturity can do quite well. It is important to understand that young drivers have a tendency to be less aware of the dangers in the world. It is imperative that they complete all the training and must be cautioned on issues of speed, weather conditions, time of day, range of driving, etc. Maturity is the primary concern here and a discussion with parents is necessary to see if the young individual can handle this great responsibility and privilege.

The Young Immature Patient: Occasionally, we encounter young patients who have adequate skills to quality for bioptic driving, but are not disciplined and mature enough to complete our training or the behind-the-wheel driver's training. We will refuse to sign applications for any patient that does not complete the training and demonstrate to our professionals the maturity and discipline to drive safely.