PriceProtect™
DriveShield™
GarageGuard™
Services
Insurance
Car Insurance
Compare Car Insurance with Jerry
Jerry’s Expert Advice
Car Insurance Estimates
Home & Renters Insurance
Renters Insurance
Repairs
Car Repair Estimates
Repair Estimates for Popular Services
Advice
Read Car Content
Browse Jerry Car Advice
Check Out Expert Car QnA
Learn About How We Create Content
Jerry Data & Research
Why is good peripheral vision so important for safe driving?
My friend usually wears glasses to drive, but she’s thinking about trying contact lenses. She’s afraid to make the switch because she thinks it’ll feel too weird and different while driving, but I’m trying to convince her that contact lenses are actually the safer and better choice. Can you help me explain why peripheral vision is so important for safe driving?
Maxine Boyko · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
Your friend is lucky to have such a conscientious person in her life! You’re right—having unobstructed peripheral vision is the safest choice for driving. Essentially, peripheral vision allows you to see out of the corners of your eyes when you’re looking straight ahead.
Having an awareness of what is going on around you while your eyes are fixed straight ahead on the road is an extremely important driving ability.
Peripheral vision helps you to anticipate hazards before they are right in front of you. In combination with central vision, peripheral vision allows you to:
- Judge a safe time to change lanes
- Notice when a pedestrian is trying to cross the street
- Detect the positions of the cars to your left and right
Without peripheral vision, you wouldn’t have the same ability to predict and make adjustments with ease.
Regardless of your friend’s corrective lenses choice, she still has to check blind spots and make sure her rear-view and
side mirrors are adjusted
. Even if she’s wearing contacts, there are times when she’ll have to glance away from the road in front of her to check on other surroundings. Encourage your friend to try the contacts. She might not be anticipating it, but I think she’ll really like her newfound peripheral vision.
While you’re looking out for safety, you should be on the lookout for a lower insurance price with
Jerry
, the car insurance
comparison app. Meet the super app that shops for quotes from more than 50 top insurance companies, fills out all your paperwork, and makes all the calls—all while letting you call the shots.View full answer
- Gregory R.
WHY YOU CAN TRUST JERRY
Jerry partners with more than 50 insurance companies, but our content is independently researched, written, and fact-checked by our team of editors and agents. We aren’t paid for reviews or other content.
Join 4M+ members in lowering their car insurance
You Might Also Be Interested
Read Advice From Car Experts At Jerry
What Others Are Asking
Browse More Content
Insurance in Your State
Easiest way to compare and buy car insurance
No long forms
No spam or unwanted phone calls
Quotes from top insurance companies