Blog
Tunnel Vision
Peripheral Vision
When driving it is important that you have as much peripheral vision as you can.
Why?
1. Need to be aware of other road users and street furniture around you and
2. Keeps you alert and awake.
How do you get this?
Moving your eyes
Moving your eyes opens up the peripheral vision to see areas better.
When sprinting the 100 metres (at Peterborough Athletics Track) there are four trees after the finish line and I try to relax and focus on the gap between the first and the second one (from the left).
When I am in this state I tend to get tunnel vision.
When sprinting the 100 metres the tunnel vision can be quite good because I just need to make sure I sprint as fast as I can in between my white lines.
I don’t really see what is around me but that means that I am focused on the speed aspects.
I don’t want to do this while I am driving.
Why?
It is not good to be focused just ahead and develop tunnel vision whilst driving as it weakens the peripheral vision. Peripheral vision is very important if you are driving, as the more you see and are aware of what is around you the more you can plan and keep the roads safe for everyone.
You are the advanced driver and you are going to make the whole situation and environment safe.
To be an advanced driver I am not focused on driving excessively fast on public roads and
I want to be safe on the road to see hazards all around me to make sure I am keeping the roads safe by my advanced driving, giving myself space and time to deal with it.
How do we move our eyes when driving?
Check the mirrors, checking the mirrors every 5 seconds means that we know what is happening behind us as much as what is happening in front of us. Remember, 'new road, new mirrors'. When changing speed and direction we check our mirrors, this includes speeding up.
A by-product of this is that it opens our peripheral vision.
If we are stuck in a traffic queue for some time, just before we move off we should really check both blind spots, this may be very quick but again opens up the peripheral vision.
Why?
1. Need to be aware of other road users and street furniture around you and
2. Keeps you alert and awake.
How do you get this?
Moving your eyes
Moving your eyes opens up the peripheral vision to see areas better.
When sprinting the 100 metres (at Peterborough Athletics Track) there are four trees after the finish line and I try to relax and focus on the gap between the first and the second one (from the left).
When I am in this state I tend to get tunnel vision.
When sprinting the 100 metres the tunnel vision can be quite good because I just need to make sure I sprint as fast as I can in between my white lines.
I don’t really see what is around me but that means that I am focused on the speed aspects.
I don’t want to do this while I am driving.
Why?
It is not good to be focused just ahead and develop tunnel vision whilst driving as it weakens the peripheral vision. Peripheral vision is very important if you are driving, as the more you see and are aware of what is around you the more you can plan and keep the roads safe for everyone.
You are the advanced driver and you are going to make the whole situation and environment safe.
To be an advanced driver I am not focused on driving excessively fast on public roads and
I want to be safe on the road to see hazards all around me to make sure I am keeping the roads safe by my advanced driving, giving myself space and time to deal with it.
How do we move our eyes when driving?
Check the mirrors, checking the mirrors every 5 seconds means that we know what is happening behind us as much as what is happening in front of us. Remember, 'new road, new mirrors'. When changing speed and direction we check our mirrors, this includes speeding up.
A by-product of this is that it opens our peripheral vision.
If we are stuck in a traffic queue for some time, just before we move off we should really check both blind spots, this may be very quick but again opens up the peripheral vision.
