Things Look Too Close Or Too Far When Driving: Is This A Depth Perception Issue???

[AuBurney Tuckerson]

Even back when I was learning to drive, I've always struggled with staying in my lane, turning, and parking. Everything just looked too close!!! I always end up parking too far from the gas tank. Sometimes, I park a bit too close or far in a parking space. One time, I hit someone pulling into a parking space because I couldn't tell how close or far their car was compared to mine.. On a daily basis, the car looks WIDER than the road from my perspective!!!

I tried online depth perception tests, but the ball and finger tests seem to show my depth perception being fine. But if my depth perception's fine, what's wrong with me when driving??? Why can't I tell the distance between my car and other things??? I can't even turn out from a stop sign without hitting the curb!!!

It's not just driving. Sometimes I walk into the side of the doorway instead of through it, and I bump onto things by accidentally walking too close to them. When driving, I always wear shaded lenses because the sun just blacks out everything else when it's in my face all the time. My next eye check probably isn't until the next 2 years.. But I think something's wrong if the car is wider than the road, and I can't even go without bumping into the side of the doorway, turn out without hitting the curb, or pass other vehicles without them looking like they're merging towards me..

Any advice or suggestions? What could be the problem if this isn't depth perception?

 

[Judge]

Sounds like concerns that may be best dealt with in obtaining an appointment with an ophthalmologist to rule out anything serious or consider that which you may be unaware of.

As a child, my mother used to have to lug around my ophthalmology file that was more than an inch and a half thick! I had a particular eye condition that was corrected through lenses rather than surgery. At age ten I no longer was required to wear glasses. I was literally medical history back then...but in reality I was incredibly lucky.

I can relate. In my own case in having a new car I still can't seem to adequately judge the front end of my car. With a much longer front end, I always seem to leave too much space forward in a parking space.

Though the reciprocal would be much worse!

 

[Misery]

One issue might be that it's not just a matter of visual perception. After all, from a driver's perspective, you cant actually see where the outside surfaces of your car are. There's a reason why side mirrors have that "objects may be closer than they appear" warning on them. And on top of that, car seats are always to the left or to the right... they're never in the center, which distorts perception even more.

Also even those with great vision can run into things. I smack into doorframes all the time, and my close-up vision isnt exactly bad. And other stuff. Why? Heck if I know. It simply happens. Pretty sure it's just because I'm really spacey.

The trick for driving, I think, is to simply assume... at all times... that your vehicle is larger than you think it is. Dont go just off of visual perception alone.

Hell, some aspects of perception while driving CANT go off of visual. For me, I know *exactly* where the tires of the car are in relation to myself. But it's impossible to SEE that... after all, I cant exactly see through solid objects! That one is a matter of feeling it. You simply have to let that sensory input happen. But dont expect that to happen quickly.

However, I find that backing up my bloated van is another matter. I cant tell exactly where the rear of the thing is no matter what I do, so I have to do it very slowly. Particularly in a parking lot full of oblivious morons. When you're dealing with a situation like that, gotta take it SLOW.

Though, ALL of this is going to be harder to deal with if you let yourself get frustrated. Keeping yourself calm is very important.

And lastly, the whole "sun blocking vision" thing isnt unique to you. It happens for *everyone*. The majority of drivers will use sunglasses while driving at certain times per day due to this very reason. This is also why car visors exist. My own visual perception is excellent (as long as I have my driving glasses on, as otherwise I'm rather nearsighted), but I simply refuse to drive at certain specific times per day, when the sun is guaranteed to be in my face at a position where the visor cant block it. Our eyes are simply not built to handle the overwhelming light the sun puts out. This is what sunglasses are for in the first place.

 

[Ronin82]

OMG, this is a major problem for me, so much so that I've actually yanked off the running board on the passenger side of my truck because I misjudged a curb! People keep telling me to get a job driving semi-trucks, but I can't deal with the "visual perception" problems that you describe. Its one of the reasons my family wanted me in a truck for my first car, because I tend to hit things, jump curbs, and misjudge speed and distance and they wanted me in a very safe vehicle. Now that I've been driving for almost 10 years, 2 of which I drove my truck professionally, I have shortcuts for judging certain things, and a REALLY good "feel" of where my vehicle is in space, but if I'm having a bad day, I just stay off the road for everyone's safety.