Okay I am embarrased to admit this because it really is an issue for me. I have had several little minor fender benders because of it. Please tell me I am not the only one. I feel so stupid. I know part of it I know I have this problem so I should be overly cautious and take my time backing and such things. I luckily have never done anything big but several small things. My dh is ready to kill me today. They are working on this street by my house and two lanes are pushed into like a lane and half. Its really crazy. Anyway they have also redid this bridge and there is one spot where the sidewalk sticks very far out. Well when there are other cars coming the other way in these not so very big lanes it is very tight. Well you guessed it. It hit that curb big time today and blew my tire. So $70 dollars later of course my dh is real happy with me. But in all seriousness I know it is because I have no depth perception. I have had this problem for ever. I can't be the only one. I should say in my defense today that coworker of mine knew exactly what spot I was talking about and said she has hit it to. I should probably just go to the eye doctor. But I have weird vision anyway. One eye is near sighted and the other far and I was always told together my vision is good. Sorry to ramble on I have just had quite the day. I just wonder if there is anything they can really do for me.

By Trina~moderator on Tuesday, May 17, 2005 - 08:24 pm:

Do you wear glasses?? If not, sounds like you should. Yes, go to the eye doctor! LOL! {{{HUGS}}} I would think glasses would correct your vision and be a big help with depth perception.

By Palmbchprincess on Tuesday, May 17, 2005 - 09:20 pm:

I haven't had any fender benders **knock on wood** but I think my depth perception is not really up to par. I have trouble with tight lanes and stuff like that. Honeslty, I've learned to compensate (it's not severe, so I've been ok) but I also wear contacts. I'm strictly near-sighted, but I also have trouble with light. I'm sensitive to light, and I see headlights and other small lights as starbursts. You can guess how fun night driving is for me!! Anyway, I agree with Trina, if you don't have corrective lenses of some sort, you should go to your eye doctor. If one eye is near-sighted and the other is far, that's probably why you have little depth perception. You're basically seeing a mismatched picture!! (((Beth))) Sorry to hear about your tire, hon!!

By Ginny~moderator on Wednesday, May 18, 2005 - 06:58 am:

No wonder your depth perception is off, with the big difference between your eyes. Your vision may average out to something close to 20/20, but in order for depth perception to work you need both eyes to be seeing at pretty much the same level. Definitely see an opthalmologist (I strongly urge an opthalmologist, because s/he is an MD who specializes in eyes and will know more and "see" more than an optometrist or optician.) You will almost certainly wind up with glasses or contacts to correct the difference between your eyes and I can almost guarantee you will "see" a big difference.

(Think of two guys carrying a long board with a load on it, where their average height is 6 feet, but one is 5 feet tall and the other 7 feet. Imagine the problems they have managing that plank and load. Your eyes are in a similar situation.)

And Crystal, you should also see an opthalmologist about your problems with night driving and oncoming headlights. That could be more than a contacts and light sensitivity issue, and should be looked into. You are nowhere near my age, but I have the same problem with starburst oncoming lights, and learned recently that I have very mild cataracts. The doc says if it gets to be a real problem I would have to have surgery, which these days is no big deal. But I am glad to know why, because another reason could be pressure buildup in the eye (a precursor of glaucoma) and both my mom and her sister had this problem and had to use special prescription eyedrops every day to counter this problem. (Which is one of the reasons I go to an opthalmologist rather than a non-MD practitioner for my eye care.)

By Karen~moderator on Wednesday, May 18, 2005 - 07:44 am:

I have noticed that when I am wearing contacts, I have the exact same problem Crystal does and I know several others who do too.

My eyes are very sensitive to light anyway though, whether it is daytime glare, or nighttime headlights, but contacts definitely make it worse for me.

Beth, my DS Jeff has no depth perception and never will. He has had 5 eye surgeries, the first one was at 10 months of age. He was wearing bifocals at 15 months. He no longer wears glasses, but he has no depth perception and several opthamologists have said there is nothing that can be done about it in his case.

By Beth on Wednesday, May 18, 2005 - 08:49 am:

I had surgery on my eyes when I was a baby to correct a lazy eye which is the one I expect is less then perfect. You would think the many eye doctors I went through the years they would have helped me. I guess I really didn't know I had a problem though until I started driving. I was only given glasses for reading and the last time I went that doctor told me I really did not even need them for that. I would say though it was like 10 years ago. I know I should be ashamed. That doctor tried putting one contact in the bad eye but it was to weird I was 20 something and used to seeing the way I did. I had compensated over the years. I will try and make an appointment soon. I better do something before dh kills me LOL! I am not "allowed" to drive down that street anymore or at least until it is fixed.

By Dawnk777 on Wednesday, May 18, 2005 - 02:44 pm:

You haven't seen an eye doctor in 10 years? You need to get them checked! My family goes every 2 years and I think our insurance just changed to cover yearly visits.

By Palmbchprincess on Wednesday, May 18, 2005 - 03:36 pm:

OMG Beth!! You really do need to go every year or 2! I know when you first get lenses or glasses, it seems weird because you are used to compensating, but you need to give it time. Whenever my prescription changes I feel like the floor is uneven when I look down, and that things are kinda funny, but it goes away after a few hours. You are actually weakening your eyes by not correcting it. Think of the money you'll save in insurance once this is taken care of!! Let us know what happens.

By Palmbchprincess on Wednesday, May 18, 2005 - 03:38 pm:

Oh, and Ginny, I'm due next month for a check, so I'll talk to my insurance about seeing an opthemologist. I *hope* I'm too young to have cataracts, but I guess you never know!! Of course, I'm blue eyed, and have always had issues with light, even before needing glasses, so hopefully it's just that. Better safe than sorry with eyesight though!

By Karen~moderator on Wednesday, May 18, 2005 - 04:31 pm:

Crystal, the odds are it's your contacts, and not cataracts. BUT - even young people can get them. My cousin has only one seeing eye, and she developed a cataract in that eye in her 20's. She has had surgery for it.z

You may just be really sensitive to light - I always have been.

By Ginny~moderator on Wednesday, May 18, 2005 - 06:32 pm:

Karen's right, Crystal. But, my thinking is that it is better to get it checked out so that you know, and maybe get some advice on how to deal with it.

Right now, what I do when driving at night and faced with bright headlights is sort of look to the right, towards the white lines, to keep me aimed properly and be looking at least a bit away from the glare.

By Beth on Wednesday, May 18, 2005 - 06:46 pm:

Thanks for the concern its nice that people care. I guess I should clarify though that it was the doctor that I saw that said the one contact would do me no good at my age. He said my vision was fine. I didn't decide on my own not to wear them. But I did decide on my own not to go to the eye doctor which I will remedy shortly. I guess it was because of the cost but I am costing myself more in the long run. LOL!

By Palmbchprincess on Wednesday, May 18, 2005 - 09:02 pm:

LOL, Ginny, I do the same thing!! The worst is someone who forgets to turn off their brights, or having an SUV behind you when their lights hit right in your mirror. Ugh!! Beth, sorry... I didn't mean to hijack your post! It's good that you're going to get it checked out. I hope you find a solution with your doctor.