Frequency of Refractive Errors in Bus Drivers

Objective: To find frequency of refractive errors among bus drivers of Karachi. Methodology: This cross sectional descriptive study was conducted in four different regions of Karachi during 2015, study tools were pretested Questionnaire, visual tests by using Snellen’s chart & ishihara chart. Results: In our sample of 120 drivers 52% were suffering from refractive errors, 24% myopia, 20% presbyopia, 7% hypermetropia, 56% faced accidents, 72% are recommended for spectacles by doctors, and 38 % uses spectacles during driving, only 17% take precautions for eyes during driving. Only 43% have passed through visual assessment before getting driving licenses, 56% drivers have faced accidents. 47% drivers think that refractive errors are major cause of road traffic accidents. Conclusion: The results of this study show that refractive errors are very common among bus drivers and road traffic accidents are related to visual problems of drivers. Drivers got their driving licenses without visual assessment.