Night has fallen. It’s raining, too. You’re in the passenger seat while your spouse is at the wheel. There was a time when it was nice to be taken for a spin by the person you married. It was terrific when they did their share of taxiing the kids to various activities, too.

But this is not the case anymore. Now – even when you know your husband or wife is neither fatigued, nor distracted by worry, nor under the influence of alcohol, medications or any other substances – riding in the car as your spouse drives has become downright frightening. Particularly at night, and if it is raining – but sometimes in broad daylight, too – you find yourself pressing your foot hard against the floor, and biting your tongue. You keep wishing the driver would react sooner to hazards, give a wider berth to pedestrians, and keep the car centered in the lane.

Even worse, you have no idea how to tell the person: “Your driving scares me.” You’re afraid not just for yourself, but for the loved ones he or she chauffeurs around, for the general public, and especially for the driver you love.

What can be worse than telling someone you adore that you think their driving is a disaster? You know your words are bound to sound critical or insulting, no matter how carefully they are spoken. You may think you need a marriage counselor to help you through the nightmare of this, but perhaps you need an ophthalmologist instead. That’s because decreased night vision can sometimes be a result of cataracts or macular degeneration of the eye. According to the National Highway Safety Administration, “Having a cataract can make it harder for you to see the road, street signs, other cars, and people walking because a cataract clouds the eye’s lens.” (Not to mention animals, including deer and moose in the road.) While the problem may be most noticeable while driving at night, those with cataracts may also experience decreased visual acuity when there is extreme glare during the daytime, including when one is facing toward the sun at sunrise or sunset.

In any case, when your loved one’s driving deteriorates, it’s a lot easier to focus on seeking an eye exam than it is to point out driving flaws. It may just be the best way to get on the road to waking up from the night-driving nightmare.

Macular degeneration, which causes a blind spot in the central vision, may first be noticed as blurred vision. Other eye problems that may account for night-driving difficulties include diabetic retinopathy, evidenced by blurred vision; and glaucoma, which reduces peripheral vision. Poorly fitted contact lenses or inadequate eyeglass prescriptions can also be culprits here.

In any case, when your loved one’s driving deteriorates, it’s a lot easier to focus on seeking an eye exam than it is to point out driving flaws. It may just be the best way to get on the road to waking up from the night-driving nightmare.