purptiger

By way of introduction: my name is Steve Perry

Well I have had macular degeneration all of my life. I am legally blind and work with the low vision community for a living. I ride a Trek fx 7.3 and tend to ride with what the roads and environment are giving me. I do ride on busy roads, but I do pay attention to traffic and cars. My biggest problem is due to glare and distance I am not always able to tell when the traffic light changes. I will either wait until I see a car going with the parallel traffic or pull over into the crosswalk and stop and wait.

I wish I could get glasses to get more distance vision, but the eye doctor says glasses will not help. So I do the best that I can. Also, I do get anxious when in heavy traffic and even fell the other day when my feet and front wheel got caught up in each other. The bike safety laws discuss taking the lane when appropriate and even getting into left turn lanes; however, it can be scary when a car pulls up behind you and does not seem to have much patience with me. Once I did not see the light change and the car behind me honked its horn. What spurred the accident is that I panicked when I saw the line of cars coming up behind me and I shifted onto the sidewalk. Sometimes I feel that I need to get out and overcome this fear to prove to myself that I have just as much right to me on the road as cars.

If anyone has any ideas to help me see the traffic lights better please let me know.

Leisesturm

I have Glaucoma and Macular Degeneration, and no longer drive, voluntarily. But I could, my license does not expire for six or more years. It probably would not be renewed if I had to take an eye test again. I am not legally blind. Not by a long shot, probably around 20/100. Significant field loss in left eye, moderate field loss in right eye. Since I no longer drive I cycle everywhere. My wife is blind and we own three tandems. I captain her to her jobsite every morning and ride back home light, switch to one of my single bikes and head off to my own jobsite. She takes the bus home.

If my sight ever got to where yours is she would insist that I find some other means of transportation than a bicycle. From your description of things I cannot in good conscience suggest that you try to find solutions to keep riding. There are none. Glare is the least of your issues. Cars are no joke. You could get killed. Or worse. I'm serious. There is worse than dying.

My wife also works with the blind and low vision community for a living. There are people with your kind of vision loss still trying to drive! In a way, that almost makes more sense than what you are trying to do.

If you don't take my advice and give up the keys, then for the love of all that is Good and Holy, HTFU and do it right out there. Fear and panic have no place in a cyclists mindset. If you can't get out there with confidence in your abilities then take the bus. No one will judge you harshly for doing that.

purptiger

I do ride carefully and obey traffic laws. I will walk crosswalks if I have to before giving up biking. I asked for advice not patronizing. I encourage my students. You do not even know my vision level. Have a good day.

juls

Really tough with cars deciding not to share the road. I too would like to use the left turn lane-but am hesitant to do so. Due to scars over my left retina (attributed to MD) I have no central vision in that eye. It effects my confidence. Stick to the crosswalks-takes longer but safer in the long run. Do sidewalks when needed and get a bell for those pesky pedestrians. LOL

crashmo

Tough situation; I feel for you. Hope you can mainly focus your riding in the most well-lit parts of the day, and when the sun is least likely to be right in your eyes whilst trying to navigate the roads.


Are there multi-use pathways where you live, that could be mainly utilized? Sidewalks can be dangerous when there are lots of driveways and might be more dangerous than the road. Sometimes route selection does more for rideability than anything else.


A good set of polarized yellow tinted glasses might help reduce eye strain and help you see the lights more clearly. Key thing is to not get run over. Good luck out there and stay safe!

purptiger

Not many multi use paths. I would have to be driven in car to get to them. DB is not a bike friendly town.

AlexCyclistRoch

Um...I kinda think this post might be a "troll", but in the case that it is not, let me be completely understandable, even if my opinion might be cruel.

If you are truly LEGALLY BLIND, then you can not LEGALLY drive any vehicle. A bicycle is a vehicle. If you can truly not see well enough to legally drive a vehicle, then you are risking yourself and others every time you ride. I **might** think otherwise if you had said that you ride with a sighted person, acting as a guide, but you did not. Even riding like this is fairly risky in traffic. If someday you happen to hit a pedestrian, any attorney would have no problem pointing out to a jury was hit by a BLIND MAN operating a vehicle.

I'm sorry for your predicament, but, let me just state the obvious: If you are blind, you can not ride a bike in traffic. Sorry, but that's the facts.

Lively or Not

Steve,
That's tough. I'm blind in one eye and have a diabetic uncle who's struggled with failing vision for years. I understand a small piece of the traffic anxiety you're talking about; I've just finished a months-long search for a mirror that will let me see traffic behind and on my left from only my right eye. And I've seen my uncle push to keep his independence with really horrid vision.

I'd suggest looking for routes that keep you mostly or entirely off the busy roads that you've had trouble with. Often, you can find a way through a subdivision, zig-zag a short distance on a busier road, then cut through another residential area to avoid main roads. You'd certainly travel a longer distance, but I'd imagine residential stop signs would present fewer challenges than traffic lights in daytime.

If you've tried doing this online and not gotten far, track down a paper map; I'm sure the DB tourism office has some. I've found paper to be useful for this sort of task.

Be safe on the roads, Steve. And I hope you're on high ground through the hurricane.

FBinNY 

Macular degerneration usually starts near the center of the field and expands toward the rim over time. This isn't always the case, but there may be a chance that you have some peripheral clarity you can take advantage of. You might see the light better by not looking at it, but sighting below and to the side. Experiment to find where you can see it best.

Unfortunately the color may not be clear, but you can learn to judge by position, ie. hot spot near the top or bottom, the way colorblind folks do.

Otherwise, you can watch opposing traffic for movement cueing you that the light has changed. I do this when the sun is behind the signal and I can't look at it. The danger is that many intersections have staggered starts for opposing directions, so use this method only where you know it's OK.

3alarmer 

...if it helps any (probably doesn't), I have good vision, and I'm still fearful when riding on the busier roads here in Sacramento. I don't know if it's workable for you in Daytona Beach, but here it is a valuable exercise to sit down with a map, and look for the roads that take me through neighborhoods on roads that parallel the main through streets.

I end up spending less time on the heavily trafficked streets, and feel a lot less stressed because of it. Google maps is good for this, and even has a bicycle routing function (which does not always work so well.)

fietsbob

I'd say Invest in a tandem and get someone with Much Better Eyesight to ride in front.

VNA

No absolutely not: to my experience if your optometrist or ophthalmologist detects "Drusens" that is the beginning with no symptoms and over many many years these tiny fatty deposits will ultimately destroy your macula and not necessarily from the center. Eventually one will lose the central vision--that is for the dry form of AMD.
The wet kind is more drastic and they are some remedy to alleviate the burst of tiny blood vessels which also destroy the macula.

There is a "medication/vitamins" that can slow the progression but does not work with everyone.

Wishing everyone who suffers from AMD to stay positive and ride as long as possible without endangering your self or any one else.

Keep weight down and away from smokers and smoking.

FBinNY 

The OP has a lifelong issue. When I post here, I don't post medical suggestions, and given that this was a long term issue, I think it's fair to assume the OP is getting professional advice, which would trump anything I could add, except maybe the standard, "get a 2nd opinion"

So, I limit myself to the cycling aspects, and ways to possibly manage around a medical problem, rather than how to treat or cure it.

VNA

So sorry but your assertion that AMD "usually starts near the center of the field" is truly incorrect.
It is in fact the very last stage of AMD wet or dry.

It starts so uneventfully with absolutely no symptoms, many many years earlier before one looses central vision.
I so unfortunately write with experience where I am in the very last stage of the macula being destroyed--known as "Geographic Atrophy" after 25 years being told that I have "drusens" in my eyes.

Getting old is not for sissies for sure. Was riding 150 miles a week almost all my adult life until a month ago--Now I ride on the multi use trail next to my house on my MTB and know all the posts!

The best advise one can give is to see an ophthalmologist who specializes in Retinal diseases.

There is plenty of information about AMD on the web.

FBinNY 

Sorry, but I don't engage in debates on side issues. The OP asked about cycling, not a medical opinion. So, if you wish to believe that I'm wrong, feel free to do so.

For all others, my advice remains as it was, See a Professional for all medical consults. Come to a bike forum for non-medial advice about cycling with a medical issue.

VNA

Debate or not, medical opinion or not, but again claiming "usually starts near the center of the field" those are your words--so please, believe me it is certainly not a side issue as you stated--very much the contrary, it is in fact the end of a normal eye sight, that started many many years earlier.

It is truly a desservice and even cruel to people who suffer from AMD asserting an (medical) opinion that is so wrong on such destructive and devastating illness.

torkelisacson

If you’re here, you’ve probably just been diagnosed, or suspect you have Macular Degeneration, or someone you care about has just been diagnosed or suspects they have the disease.

This entire site is dedicated to information regarding Macular Degeneration, but this page will give you a quick general overview to get you oriented.

bobwysiwyg

A bicycle is not considered a vehicle under Michigan laws.

morfeeis

As someone with 20/200 ( might be worse at this point but who knows), all you can so is follow the traffic laws and watch out for yourself as best you can. i do not , DO NOT USE THE TURNING LANES! In my opinion it just isn't worth the risk, i ride with the flow of traffic across the street and then stop at the light and ride across when i get the light the other direction.

I also try to stay away from heavy traffic streets, people are idiots, as blind as my ass is i can see that they drive like dingbats. Sometimes this means taking a longer route, but to me it is worth it. i also don't wear dark shades, i use the blue or yellow lenses riding glasses. they both cut down on glare and reduce the risk of ocrapbuginmyeye syndrome.

rubiconazoid

As you probably know, when the central part of your vision, your fovea, becomes compromised, you can only rely on the peripheral part of the macula or even the more peripheral part of your retina to see. While this will let you catch movement to your sides, your fine detail is gone.
In terms of your desire to see the traffic lights better, that's even more difficult. The fovea of the eye contains the highest percentage of cones in the retina, the cones being the light receptors which pick up color, as opposed to the rods which are more light and dark oriented. So, basically, the further out from the fovea the light touches the retina, the less sensitivity to color you will have. No easy answer. Color blind people function from realizing that the traffic lights follow a pattern, that being red on top, yellow in the middle, and green on the bottom. It's how they live. Not sure if you have that degree of sensitivity still or not.
Low vision specialists try to train the folks who have lost their central vision to learn eccentric viewing, it's almost like you are trying to train your brain to recognize another portion of your retina as a "new macula or fovea". This will not give you as sharp a vision as you had when you had no problems. The idea is to give you a degree of functional vision.

Depending on the condition of both eyes you might find this difficult. Geographic atrophy may not be balanced in both eyes, so eccentric viewing in one eye may not line up with what healthy retina you may still have in your other eye. You will certainly hope to maintain the highest degree of binocularity with whatever you choose in glasses. Macular degeneration is a tough thing. I hope you find the highest level of functionality with your remaining vision, and I also commend you for working to stay going.

unterhausen

good luck OP, I really don't know what we can do to help you, unfortunately.

I had an issue that left me with only peripheral vision in one eye until the problem resolved. I really respect your desire to continue cycling, I hope you can make it work

GuitarRider2002

One of the reasons vision requirements are so strict for operating a motor vehicle, is because they travel at high speeds, which means good vision is needed to provide ample reaction time. I think people can safely cycle with low vision in most cases as long as they understand their limitations,, as you seem to.


OP, I suggest you check into getting a set of telescopic lenses, they will almost certainly solve your red light problem, and they may be little or not cost if you have vision insurance. Good luck, and be safe.