More eyesight testing in the UK to drive?.
Hi everyone ,
Motorists should be made to undergo eye tests every ten years, leading experts have said.
The Association of Optometrists (AoP) warned that current laws concerning vision requirements for drivers were insufficient.
They are among the most relaxed in Europe and involve no mandatory eye exam aside from the requirement to read a number plate on a parked vehicle during the practical driving test, meaning that a 17-year-old could continue to drive for the rest of their life with no further checks.
Motorists must tell the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) if they have problems with their eyesight but their licence will continue to be renewed if they do not admit to having difficulty .
- The current eyesight requirements which are not especially stringent, particularly for ordinary drivers, as opposed to lorry and bus drivers.
- The current Driving Licence Directive allows for periodic eyesight testing, but the UK Government has chosen not to require this of drivers so far
Should periodic eye tests be mandatory for drivers, say every 10 years? More/less often?
Should optometrists be more proactive to point out to people that deterioration in their eyesight may affect their driving if uncorrected?
Should eye sight testing be done after becoming 70 as standard practice.?
What do we all think?.
Comments
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Due to medical reasons my eye sight is deteriorating. I go for regular checks and tests and these help reassure me that I'm fine to drive, currently. I know the time will come when that decision will have to be made to stop driving. Whether I make that decision or a doctor is immaterial to me, I just hope I make it though. I'd suggest the tests should be more regular than ten years mind. Mine was a sudden 'event' with relatively quick deterioration which at present is being held in check. I'm not sure if at present opticians or doctors can temporarily 'remove' a driving licence. I was advised not to drive (and didn't) until the operations and treatments stabilised my sight.
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Those of us with additional entitlements have regular testing of medical condition as well as eyesight (some annually) so things are nowhere near as bad as the OP appears to suggest.
However, no amount of testing will meant that those who do not want to see something will instead do so.
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Firstly I would like to check through ONS traffic accident figures and their causes. I doubt whether a lack of eye testing is a major factor.
So no, I am against a further intrusion into peoples lives. I suspect it would be a waste of resources.
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10 years, someone could have lived, died and resurrected in that time period. I have an annual check not because I have to but because its important both in driving and in health, plus it's free. My Optometrist tells me each visit how they are for driving and whether I need prescription glasses, or off the shelf ones for reading, I would have thought this was standard practice.
More regular eye tests are needed and the Optometrist having the power to notify your Doctor and the DVLA.
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I and several of our friends try not to drive after dark, although we have glasses and an annual or bi annual eye tests,driving at night is not good as we know that our eyes react much slower to lights of oncoming traffic,as we age, and lights on modern cars are also much brighter now, and those that do not think they "need"glasses should also be obliged,to take an eye test at every licence renewal
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I would hope that everyone would make the decision to stop driving when needed but I suspect many would not. It may be alright when one continues into old age with twenty twenty vision but It is worrying that at present there may be many on the road who make the decision to continue to drive when possibly they ought not. The event of an accident caused by unrecognised or ignored sight issues which resulted in life changing injuries or even death to another is frightening for all involved.
Incidentally, I had only just turned 60 when my vision suddenly deteriorated. Stupidly I turned that 'blind eye' to it for a day or two in the belief it would resolve itself overnight, that relatively quick visit to the doctor that followed saved my sight, for the time being. There may be too many of us who would have continue to ignore or be in denial of it. One ruined life or loss as a result warrents regular tests in my opinion. To protect just one life would be worth it.
I too have made the decision not to drive at night but to be honest it's dusk that causes me more issues.
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Of course the report was produced by the European Commission and also states that France, Norway and the Netherlands have the same standard as the U.K.
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I don't think the suggestion is that most accidents are caused by vision issues, there is the flaw!
Any proposal which could reduce 'accidents' caused by whatever reason or combination of reasons must be a good thing. If frequent tests help then so be it!
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One would hope that eye testers would tell a person about their ability to meet the standard required for driving. My optician certainly does but has a couple of horror stories 😲. They have written to DVLA regarding at least one but got no response. That person couldn't see the large single letter, and intended to drive home 😲😲😲😲.
I'm growing a cataract and have 6 monthly check ups and lenses change if necessary.
In NZ your driving licence states whether the holder requires corrective aids. I must enquire how often this is updated. My daughter has been required to pop out her contact lenses to prove they are being worn. I do know someone who won't wear their distance glasses, even when driving, but are on the dash to be put on if stopped. Hopefully the police are observant 😉
So really there can be very regular eye testing but the onus is still on the driver to be sensible.
I was shocked at the GP test for driving after a stroke. Just resistance pushes to GP hand by patient arms and legs. Is that because that all that's needed? Or because GP doesn' want to break bad news? Do house calls to elderly who can't get to the practice on public transport - cos none goes past the surgery??? Oh the cynic in me
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If you ever get round to looking at the stats Brue, I think you will find there is a significant number of accidents resulting from poor eyesight. It is not only the Association of Optometrists agitating for testing, a number of other well respected organisations are doing the same. Myself I have an annual eye test and have done since I was 40. I also have to have a medical every 3 years to keep my licences. I think eyesight testing, especially for the over 45s is long overdue. In my experience self regulation isn't working.
peedee
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It needs to be made a legal requirement that optometrists report all eye site failures to dvla and also advise the "failure" that they must also contact their GP,eyesite problems are not the cause of all accidents but eyesite "problems can also be a sign of other underlying problems that could affect the ability to be behind the wheel
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I've just had a quick look at road accident facts and "distraction" appears to top a long list of other causes, lack of eye tests doesn't figure.
(Problems driving in the dark does figure so difficulty in seeing can affect all of us whatever our sight is like.) 0 -
It would be easy enough to bring in, I believe current advice is that folk of whatever age have an eye test every two years. It would just need the legislation putting in place that required eyesight test information to be provided at licence renewal.
However, I take brues point, there are other causes of accidents that are perhaps more significant as we age. Are these going to be tested as well?
I personally think a greater danger is indecision / reaction time. My Dad voluntarily gave up driving in his 70's because he just could not think / react fast enough, and did not feel he was safe on the road. He would have passed the eyesight test though.
So what is probably required is a re-test at specified intervals, which would check everything. Although as they can't manage the current level of testing, that would never work.
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According to Optometry Today, which I imagine is some sort of trade website/organisation, reported that
A Freedom of Information Act request to the Drive & Vehicle Licencing Agency (DVLA) revealed that over 10,000 UK motorists had their licences revoked in 2016 due to poor sight.
That seems like a very high number to me. OK we don't know the background to those 10000 motorists. Perhaps many of those are elderly and perhaps are already tested.
I would have no personal objection to my two yearly eye tests having an element of motoring included in the test.
David
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I've just had a look at ONS stats for June 2017, accidents involving cars were down 17%. Pedestrian and cycling accidents were up slightly.
I still don't feel the need for extra eye tests unless there is a proven link with accidents and a lack of eye tests. Anyway, enough said. Personally I get my eyes tested, I've had eye surgery and I might well be one of those who won't be able to drive in the future. I expect the figures for revoking licences are correct with an aging population, it's not just eyes that make driving difficult as people get older. Safe driving everyone.
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I have free eye test every two years and would go more frequently if I suspected there was a problem.
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Many of us may remember when drink driving was totally self regulated. To a degree it still is but don't think anyone would advocate returning to that. Maybe the introduction of mandatory eye tests would have the same effect as the introduction of breath tests had on the public opinion of those choosing to ignore or be dismissive of their failing eye sight. According to the data I'm not surprised to note that many folk were also totally unaware that their eye sight had deteriorated.
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Just had my eye test yesterday and happy to say my eyes have changed so little in the last 2 years that I don’t need new glasses this time. I only require reading glasses, which I first started wearing at 40 and had to have new ones every 2 years until turned 50 and then it has tended to be every 4 years but only small adjustments. I would have no problem with my optometrist passing on concerns to the DVLA, but how would you be able to force all drivers to go for testing? As usual the problem drivers would be the ones to ignore this. Hi
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Bearing in mind that eyesight deteriorates with increasing age I would have thought that a minimum of testing every three years would be appropriate from, say, 65yrs onwards.
Must add, like a lot of responsible drivers, I do check with my optometrist, every time I visit, that all is well for me to continue driving.
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but how would you be able to force all drivers to go for testing? As usual the problem drivers would be the ones to ignore this.
If it was linked to licence renewal, which until 70 is every 10 years, it would be easy enough to control. No test certificate no licence. OK you would still get those driving without a licence, or trying it on with bogus certificates. However, no system will ever be 100% foolproof.
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