Not before time: Eye tests for the over 70s and Drink-driving limit
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Common sense at last prevailing. Never been able to understand why this hadn’t been tightened up. It’s a step in the right direction. Tough on the individual, but better for the wider community. My optician always lets me know how much eye sight deterioration could affect my driving, and I take heed.
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I think it's a great idea. But I think it should apply to all drivers. Of course over 70's have to reapply every 3 years so makes admin easier.
I have needed glasses/contact lenses since I was 14..I go annually these days, but it was never more than 2 years apart, to the opticians and listen to what they have to tell me. Like @Takethedogalong I get told or ask about changes.
MMy Daughter was routinely stopped soon after she arrived in NZ. There your driving licence states you if need vision correction. She was asked to remove her contact lenses to prove she was wearing them! Not wearing vision correction attracts a penalty, can't remember what. I was with SiL once when he was driving he suddenly grabbed glasses from the console, police car coming the other way. Too vain to wear them all the time I learnt 🤐🤐🤐
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There is too much in terms of safety (and honesty!) that relies upon self regulation nowadays, from individuals driving, to companies building shoddy houses (and caravans), and Police Forces investigating themselves.🤷♀️ It’s only when something goes wrong that they get caught out.
It’s not the only thing they are looking at though, possible saliva test to catch the druggy drivers that roar around as well.0 -
A couple of years ago I had laser eye treatment as I had cataracts in both eyes and I was amazed after they did the first eye I could compare my eyes and the untreated eye was like looking at old sepia photos, I now have eye tests every 12 months
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I had a cataract removed, then it had lazered after a couple of years. I now have one short sighted eye, with cataract developing and a long sighted one. I too can see a difference where cataract is. .
LLoving having not to wear glasses mostly, but I do have glasses. I'm not in a hurry ho have the 2nd cataract done as only if I go private can I choose the replacement lense. It never occurred to me that I would be given what the NHS chose - thus I have a long sighted eye!
Buyt you're right the difference once a cataract is sorted is unbelirvable
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In regard to the recent news story relating to eyesight testing and drink-drive limits, the Club is not specifically a road safety organisation but safe driving has always been central to our focus on ensuring that touring holidays are a safe and enjoyable experience. The Club is actively involved with road safety groups such as the Parliamentary Advisory Council on Transport Safety (PACTS) and the Older Drivers Forum, both of which provide evidence-based proposals on improving road safety.
- Eyesight. Adequate eyesight is an essential for safe driving and under current legislation, a driver's licence can be revoked if they fail to meet the standards of vision for driving. We would encourage all drivers to have regular eye tests (usually every two years) and to always use glasses or contact lenses if prescribed for driving. Eyesight does change with age and it is a harsh fact that vision may decline and the risk of eyesight conditions increase as we get older.
- Drink-driving limit. The current limit in England and Wales (plus Northern Ireland, although the suggested changes would not apply there) is comparatively high within Europe. The rumoured plan to reduce the limit from 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath to 22 micrograms would not only align the threshold with Scotland, but also with Austria, Belgium, France, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Spain and several other European countries. Some European countries have even more stringent limits. Those planning to drive should be aware that it will take hours for your body to remove alcohol from your system and that the rate of removal is hard to predict. The safest option is not to drink at all if planning to drive.
No formal proposals have been brought forward by the Government as yet. When proposals do appear, there's likely to be an opportunity for consultation. The Club monitors such opportunities continuously and provides input whenever we judge that it is in Club members' interests for us to do so.
0 - Eyesight. Adequate eyesight is an essential for safe driving and under current legislation, a driver's licence can be revoked if they fail to meet the standards of vision for driving. We would encourage all drivers to have regular eye tests (usually every two years) and to always use glasses or contact lenses if prescribed for driving. Eyesight does change with age and it is a harsh fact that vision may decline and the risk of eyesight conditions increase as we get older.
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@Bakers2 - I believe there is something - glasses with a sort of yellow tint supposedly designed to stop the glare. I've no experience of them but I have seen them advertised from time to time.
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I agree it would be a good idea but the logistics of doing it given how long the waiting list is for a driving test mean it would never be practical unless they are prepared to throw a lot of money at it and train up / employ more personnel to carry out the assessments.
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@peedee @SteveL no red again? I've seen the yellow ones advertised. Glad to read they work @peedee . When you read the ads some they all claim they're the best! Optician wasn't overly helpful on the subject. If you could say which make I'd be pleased.
I was at a talk recently given by a driving instructor he said there's no way they can re test on mass unless there's a massive injection of cash...
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There is such a long waiting time to get a driving test at the moment because of the shortage of examiners, how are the government going to implement extra ones for older people. Imagine the uproar there would be if new drivers couldn't obtain a test because of all the compulsory ones taking precedent.
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Personally I believe any extra requirements as far as testing should be based on actual evidence of need not personal opinion. The requirement for regular eye testing ( at all ages) makes perfect sense and a requirement to provide proof of eyesight test every two years would also make sense however going further than that does require evidence based need. the case could be made that addition proficiency testing might have to start at a much lower age than 70?
David
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Anything to help reduce the catastrophe caused by road deaths is a big bonus.
Since the day I was born, almost 65 years ago, every single day of my life (and yours if you are sub 72 years old), there have been 4,000 (four thousand) deaths by motor vehicle EVERY SINGLE DAY WORLDWIDE.
The number has dropped just a tad in this last year, but on top of that are the 5 million people that suffer life changing injuries each year, and every year.
That dreadful plane crash from Air India a couple of months ago certainly caught the headlines, but the equivalent of 19 of those planes crashing every day for the last 65 years doesn't seem to catch the media's attention at all.
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I agree 100 pct with introducing tighter drink driving rules and the eye sight test for the over 70's personally i think this should be lower, but who is going to oversee all these eye set tests, my OH has been waiting nearly 3 months for the doctors to sign off her renewal for driving licence, the only people to profit from this will be the likes of spec savers and boots because for sure somebody is going to have to pay for all these tests
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If you’re over 60 you don’t have to pay for an eye test, you are entitled to one per year. Ultimately any extra cost will be funded by the taxpayer. I don’t really understand the only people to profit comment, surely we all benefit from drivers being able to see where they are going. Plus of course eye tests can pick up other issues earlier and thus save the NHS costs in that respect.
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From a purely practical point of view, I will be interested to see how the requirement for an eyesight test will pan out when it comes to renewing a licence.
Currently, you can renew your licence for a car/motorcycle online or with a single form which can be scanned electronically to vet the answers and approve the application automatically where no issues are raised.
If you need to support your application with proof of acceptable vision standards, how will that be vetted ? Does it mean that every renewal will require manual intervention; if so, the processing backlogs are likely to be horendous.
I have just sent off my licence application and medical report to include renewal of my the C1 entitlement (for the 3rd time). I just hope they don't sit on it for too long !
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I would think the process could be made fairly simple, at least for those not requiring a C1. When I have an eye test I am given a prescription. I believe that was brought about to enable you to source your specs elsewhere if you didn’t want to purchase their product. If a unique code containing the fact you passed was added to the prescription, it could be entered into a field on the online renewal. The system would recognise it as a valid code and random checks / stiff penalties for fraudulent abuse should stop those who might try and use someone else’s test.
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If you’re over 60 you don’t have to pay for an eye test, you are entitled to one per year "
at my local Spec Savers you are only entitled to a free test every 2 years, if you subsequently request 1 at 12 months you can have this free provided your test shows that you need a change of lens, in which case the test is free but you have to pay for the lens which is generally in excess of £200, if you choose to take your perscription without the purchase of new lens then you pay, take your perscription to e.g. Boots you pay for new lens
at the end of the day no tests are free, somebody somewhere has to pay Boots, Spec Savers et al
I am just wondering how Spec Savers, Boots et al would cope with the increased demand in eye tests have not seen any numbers given as to how many per annum this may be but my guess would be millions ???
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A quick google search reveals :
AI Overview
There are approximately 5.97 million people over the age of 70 who hold a full driving license in Great Britainaccording to the RAC Foundation. This age group represents about 14% of all licensed drivers in the countryaccording to MoneySuperMarket. Specifically, there are 1.65 million drivers aged 80 and over according to the RAC Foundation.0 -
I am sure other developed countries manage this, along with lots of other issues that England somehow fails miserably to do the joined up writing about. The largest issue in this country seems to be that someone somewhere up the line has to be making a huge profit from what are really basic common sense requirements. This will just be another get rich quick scheme for a few, and is unlikely to be overseen adequately until the next preventable death occurs. And so the cycle of greed, poor oversight (pun intended), badly implemented ideas carries on. 🤷♀️
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@Takethedogalong Yup sort of agree but you have to compare like with like e.g.
Spain population 47 million, UK population 66 Million, Spanish landmass almost double that of UK so population much more diversified, yes they have big cities on a par with Liverpool, Manchester etc but they have many more rural areas where the demand on social services is not so great, hence they have a comprehensive check before you can drive including a medical, can you imagine that happening in the UK, there would be more people off the road waiting for licence renewal than actually driving.
Fortunately my OH is not too bothered as to whether she drives again or not but it would be convenient if her licence was renewed but it is stuck in that big cloud in the sky waiting for someone to rubber stamp it, or not.
as for drink driving, Volvo have some software in their new vehicles that detects alchol and will not allow the car to be started if present, unfortunately it is not available on Uk models, but like everything else somebody would find a way to cheat the system and put it on You Tube 😕
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That’s more a dVLA issue @Rufs ? Appallingly bad at getting far too much sorted out, understaffed, badly run, couldn’t give a 😡 about its customers. I waited 4 full months to turn a paper license into a photo license. Sat on someone’s desk no doubt.
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I watched a program (maybe last year?) where an instructor sat for maybe 1/2 hour with an older person driving to establish how safe/observant they were to continue driving. I would not expect it to overlap with a new driver’s test, but to stand alone, so not encroaching on the current system. Maybe current drivers who have been assessed to be safe and competent and maybe would like a part time job to enroll to carry out such proficiency tests; it’s not a full DVLA examination. Maybe even insurance companies encouraging such tests and give incentives for having one? Maybe insurance companies could contribute to the scheme and that could help fund it? Non of us have all the answers, but there’s been far too many occasions whereby I’ve seen drivers with walking aids being the driver (including such people towing 🤯) and who have difficulty manoeuvring in and out of relatively easy parking spaces! Something needs to change, considering we’re getting more people living longer!
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The idea of drivers having to have their eysight tested is sensible. Why only those over 70 years of age, when those who have reached that age are more likely to get tested anyway. What makes the whole proposal ludicrous is that these is no way to enforce the use of corrective devices. Get the test; get the stamp; get the licence; then just continue to drive without correction.
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That is ultimately the issue @Navigateur. No matter the age, it’s people not acting responsibly. I have a family member who wouldn’t wear glasses, damaged their own car, nothing else thankfully. It’s all academic now as other health related issues have taken them off the road. The whole family is relieved. Won’t wear glasses for other things either, stubborn as a proverbial mule.
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