Sight Sinners: Illinois Drivers Among Nation’s Worst for Driving with Impaired Vision, Study Finds.

• Survey of 3,017 drivers on how many knowingly avoid eye tests or corrective lenses.
• 51% of drivers in Illinois admit they have not been to an optometrist for a recent checkup.
• Infographic included.

American roads already come with built-in dangers – tired drivers, drunk drivers, bad weather – but there’s another risk we rarely talk about: the huge number of people driving with eyesight they know isn’t good enough. With winter’s darker evenings and longer commutes, vision becomes even more crucial for road safety. 

Lenspricer.com, a price comparison site for contact lenses, carried out a survey of 3,017 drivers to find out how many knowingly avoid eye tests or corrective lenses. The result: a clear picture of America’s hidden “blur-risk” population – motorists on the road with uncorrected vision who may be contributing to avoidable accidents nationwide.

The study revealed that almost half (49%) of drivers admit they need glasses or lenses, but have not been to an optometrist for a recent checkup. This equates to over 75 million drivers on America’s roads.

The top 5 sight sinning states are:

1. Arkansas (64%) 939,546 drivers
2. Missouri (60%) 1,667,393 drivers
3. Rhode Island (60%) 292,714 drivers
4. California (59%) 10,527,362 drivers
5. Nevada (59%) 853,343 drivers

Compared with the rest of the country, the Prairie State stands out: 51% of drivers who need glasses admit they haven’t had a recent eye check-up, meaning 2,795,353 Illinoisans are driving despite knowing their vision isn’t good enough.

Infographic showing the breakdown across America.

Why Are People Avoiding Eye Tests?

For many, it’s not denial – it’s dollars.

• 36% say cost is the biggest barrier.
• 14% blame inconvenience or simply being too busy.
• 12% insist their vision is “good enough” (whether it actually is or not).
• 8% avoid tests because they are afraid the results might restrict their driving.
• 8% just… forget.
• And 22% claim they don’t avoid eye tests at all.

Would Stricter Vision Rules Make Roads Safer? A resounding 82% say yes. Even many of the offenders agree.

What Happens If People Lose Their Glasses Right Before Driving?

• 20% would drive anyway.
• 12% would cancel or delay the trip.
• 12% would stick to short distances only.
• 38% would ask someone else to drive.
• 18% don’t use corrective lenses in the first place.

Vision-Linked Close Calls: Not everyone is willing to admit an issue, but 24% have had more than one near-miss they believe was vision-related.

What Happens If Vision Gets Worse?

Responses reveal a mix of realism, bravado, and wishful thinking:

• 6% would keep driving no matter what.
• 14% would “probably” keep driving.
• 42% would reduce their time behind the wheel.
• 34% say they’d stop altogether.
• 4% aren’t sure.

Are People Delaying New Glasses Because of Denial? Surprisingly, 29% openly admit they have avoided renewing glasses because they didn’t want to face the fact that their eyesight is deteriorating.

“We tend to think of eyesight as a personal health issue, but the data shows it’s a shared safety issue too”, says Rasmus Adeltoft of Lenspricer.com. “Millions of people are driving with vision they know isn’t good enough, not out of recklessness but because of cost pressures, busy schedules, or simple avoidance. Clear vision is one of the easiest safety wins we have on the road – and one of the most overlooked.”