Colorblind and Driving?

[bisous]

Anyone have any BTDT with colorblindness and driving? This regards DS2 who is only 13 right now. But we were driving and he could not tell me if the light was red or yellow! Big difference there! In this particular case it was about a yellow arrow so it wasn't even necessarily in a typical "spot" (unlike yellow lights that are in the "middle" of the usual array of spotlights.

I confess I haven't thought about the colored light system much in regard to colorblindness and driving before. DS2 is very good at figuring out colors from context clues usually to the point that I often forget about his colorblindness and have never made any kind of accommodations for him.

Would love to hear of any experience anyone has had. Like I said, he's only 13 so this isn't an immediate concern but it definitely has me wondering how that is going to go!

[AnnieW625]

Dh is 46 and is color blind but he has no issues delineating between red and yellow and yellow and green. His issues are telling some dark greens and reds if they are next to each other plus blacks, purples, and dark blues and some browns and blacks. He doesn’t own any dark brown socks on purpose just light brown so it is easy for him to separate.

I would ask the optometrist about the color blind issue at the next apportionment; maybe his glasses need to be adjusted.


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[bisous]

Dh is 46 and is color blind but he has no issues delineating between red and yellow and yellow and green. His issues are telling some dark greens and reds if they are next to each other plus blacks, purples, and dark blues and some browns and blacks. He doesn’t own any dark brown socks on purpose just light brown so it is easy for him to separate.

I would ask the optometrist about the color blind issue at the next apportionment; maybe his glasses need to be adjusted.


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OK. I'm sure the optometrist has some experience in this regard! I think DS2 is also due for a new exam.

[klwa]

No personal experience, but my dad's best friend was pretty much completely color blind (from what I was told, he saw in complete gray scale) and drove his entire life. I think most cases, he'll be able to figure it out by context (like red is always at the top, etc.) You may have to do extra work getting that sort of info to him, but I'd think he'll be able to work within his limits.

And honestly, sometimes when I'm driving, I get confused as to what the lights mean when they're in a weird order or look somehow different from normal, so if the yellow light was in a weird place, I'd probably be slowing down to figure out what was going on, too.

[lizzywednesday]

Anyone have any BTDT with colorblindness and driving? This regards DS2 who is only 13 right now. But we were driving and he could not tell me if the light was red or yellow! Big difference there! In this particular case it was about a yellow arrow so it wasn't even necessarily in a typical "spot" (unlike yellow lights that are in the "middle" of the usual array of spotlights....

I thought the configuration of the lights was supposed to help colorblind individuals with this - when vertical, the red light is always the top while the green is always the bottom; when horizontal, the red is at the left. If there are separate arrow lights that cycle through red-yellow-green, they are also in this configuration.

Other than that, I'd take a look at the drivers' manual for your state to see what additional things he'd have to be aware of ... and maybe empower him to write to your state DOT for more inclusive lighted signals (or whatever will help) - with the increased use of digital signage in many areas, I feel like they're missing drivers with visual disabilities like this.

[JBaxter]

Im not sure but my grandfather was red/ green color blind and he drove his whole life with out an accident. I never through to ask him he lived until 90 and drove well into his 80s

[bisous]

I think the tricky thing are these new light combos. Like the bank of five lights (including yellow and green arrows) and in some places in the time adjacent it has a flashing yellow arrow (no other light combo). I guess it is just a matter of better education and if in doubt, don't go!

[AnnieW625]

I think the tricky thing are these new light combos. Like the bank of five lights (including yellow and green arrows) and in some places in the time adjacent it has a flashing yellow arrow (no other light combo). I guess it is just a matter of better education and if in doubt, don't go!

It could be new LED lights as they aren’t true colors as well.

Just teach the 4 way stop and he’ll be fine. We have six months until Dd1 can get her permit....where has time gone?!


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[niccig]

The time does go quickly. You might want to start having him tell you the light color while he’s a passenger. There’s so many things to watch as you drive, it may help if he’s already familiar with the stop lights


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[NCGrandma]

The time does go quickly. You might want to start having him tell you the light color while he’s a passenger. There’s so many things to watch as you drive, it may help if he’s already familiar with the stop lights


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That’s a really good idea! Until this thread, I had never thought about driving and colorblindness. No one in my immediate family is affected, but I have a close friend who is colorblind and I’m going to remember to ask him what his experience has been.


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[pinay]

DH is colorblind and he's perfectly fine driving. There are different types of colorblindedness- he has trouble with shades within a color family, and also with colors that are similar tones like blue and purple. However, it hasn't affected his ability to drive, at least as far as I can tell!

[♥ms.pacman♥]

color blind DH here and he's fine driving, though he does sometimes get confused with the flashing orange/yellow (if it's yellow or red) in some situations.

color blindness in males is extremely common, i think like 10% of men, so i don't think it's as big an issue for driving. I think they learn to adapt. DH's brother is also color-blind, as was his grandfather.

[bisous]

color blind DH here and he's fine driving, though he does sometimes get confused with the flashing orange/yellow (if it's yellow or red) in some situations.

color blindness in males is extremely common, i think like 10% of men, so i don't think it's as big an issue for driving. I think they learn to adapt. DH's brother is also color-blind, as was his grandfather.

Yes, it is the flashing orange/yellow lights that he gets confused by. And the blinking arrows. Glad to know that even with this issue, he can be a safe driver!

[♥ms.pacman♥]

Yes, it is the flashing orange/yellow lights that he gets confused by. And the blinking arrows. Glad to know that even with this issue, he can be a safe driver!

yeah i think the main issue with DH is when it is one of those SINGLE flashing orange lights at an intersection (not the standard 3 in the row, of green, orange, red) -because then he doesn't also have the light order to deduce what color it is. I think most of hte time when it is one light by itself it is clear to deduce if it is orange or red, but sometimes in bad lighting , it is difficult for him to tell.