Eye diseases among elderly drivers in Finland

Sir,Eye problems, caused either by media opacities or a retinal disease, can have a powerful effect on the capacity to drive a motor vehicle and yet remain unnoticed in traffic by any alert authority. Visual problems, other than uncorrected optical errors, typically tend to occur in the elderly.Ageing has become the most salient problem in European countries1 and the rate of ageing is currently the highest in Finland. Between 1980 and 2004 the proportion of population aged 65 and over increased from 577 382 to 830 940 (30.5%) in Finland and is now 20.5% of the total population.2 In 1980 there were 135 658 driving-licence holders in Finland, aged 60 and over, while the number in …