An Assessment of Visual Acuity of Commercial Vehicle Drivers in Makurdi, Benue State, North-Central Nigeria

Aim: This study was designed to investigate the visual acuity and the relationship between visual acuity and rate of road traffic accident (RTAs) among commercial (private and government transport companies) vehicle drivers in Makurdi, North Central Nigeria.

Methods: A structured questionnaire was administered to each driver by face-to-face interview in four major motor parks in Makurdi metropolis. The documented information included driver’s demographic data, duration of driving, history of previous ophthalmic examination, past ophthalmic disease and history of involvement in road traffic accident. Participants were taken through a comprehensive eye examination.

Results: One hundred and twenty-two (122) male commercial vehicle drivers were enrolled for this study with a mean age of 33.8 + 0.81 years. 98.4% (n=120) of the drivers had normal visual acuity in both eyes. Analysis showed that there was no correlation between visual acuity of the drivers and the number of road traffic accident.

Conclusion: The prevalence of visual impairment in this study was low. The result also showed that there is no relationship between visual acuity and road traffic accident. Majority of the drivers in this study never had any eye test done before obtaining their driving license.