This study investigated the influence of elderly vision degradation on subjective rating of floor slipperiness and the correlation between the subjective ratings and objective measures. Slips and falls are common causes of injures and fatalities in the elderly population. Many slips and falls may be attributed to environmental risks and misjudgment of floor slipperiness by vision degradation. Environmental risks are generally caused by a slippery floor. The coefficient of friction (COF) is one of the most commonly used indices to assess floor slipperiness. The measurements conducted in this study acquired the COF on four floors under three surface conditions (dry, sand‐covered, and wet). The results showed that the dry condition has the highest COF and the wet condition has the lowest. Thirty elderly persons and thirty younger persons were recruited for vision screening. The vision degradation in elders was significant, with most elders having eye diseases. The subjective ratings of floor slipperiness were recorded for these subjects. Although both age groups had a similar rating trend with the COF measures, the correlation between rating and COF for younger persons was significantly stronger than that for elders. The results also showed that the smooth floor and the sand‐covered condition both cause lower correlation coefficients between rating and COF for elders. The results could be used to reduce slip and fall accidents by elderly persons. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.