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It is common practice to routinely instruct patients not to drive after being administered mydriatics with the explanation that insurance companies may not pay out in the event of a motor vehicle accident. Although there is no objective evidence to suggest that driving performance is compromised by pupil dilation, a handful of papers have shown that dilatation has a small but significant effect on visual acuity, contrast sensitivity and glare sensitivity. 1-3 It is possible that in the minority of patients, this may result in the vision dropping below the legal requirements set by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), UK. 2
Keightley quoted personal communications with the Association of British Insurers (ABI) suggesting that insurers would have reservations supporting claims from drivers who were involved in accidents with dilated pupils even if he or she fulfilled the legal driving requirements. 4 We wondered how the individual insurers would manage such a case, so we wrote to the 10 largest UK motor insurance companies asking if they would contest an insurance claim for a straightforward 'at...