SUMMARY
Traffic accidents are caused by innumerous factors among which low visual acuity. Vision answers for 95% of the driving act. Operation research on a heavy traffic highway with 400 heavy vehicle drivers examined, male, average age 39, from 16 Brazilian States, 65.5% leukoderms, 77.25% with incomplete lower secondary school. Of the 400, 204 (51%) had a time interval of over 5 years for driving licence renewal and 206 (51.5%) reported never having been submitted to eye examination other than that required by law, the latter not always complete. 51 drivers (14.25%) showed a certain degree of visual acuity deficiency. Among these, 17 (29.82%) had vision inferior to that required by law, 4 of which with legal blindness in one eye. It is proposed that eye examinations be conducted more frequently and thoroughly, by ophthalmologists; that drivers whose licences are bound to previous law requirements providing interval of up to 22 years between examinations be given new examinations.