What effect does aging have on depth perception?

As individuals age, depth perception typically declines due to various factors associated with the aging process. This may include changes in the eyes, such as the lens becoming less flexible and the pupil not responding to light as effectively, both of which can impact the ability to judge distances accurately. Additionally, the brain's processing speed and ability to combine visual information also tends to slow down with age, further impairing depth perception.

Aging can lead to an increased difficulty in distinguishing between objects that are close together or far apart, which is crucial for safe driving, especially when making decisions like when to change lanes or navigate through intersections. Children and younger adults generally have sharper depth perception due to more flexible visual systems, so it's important for older drivers to be aware of how their perception may change and to adjust their driving habits accordingly.

The other options are not accurate as depth perception does not improve with age, remain unchanged, and nighttime driving difficulties are typically more related to vision issues rather than solely depth perception.