Eyesight tests for elderly drivers
 

I'm all for it. This driver ruined this man's life. Makes you wonder how many more there are out there.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/s...re/4328671.stm

Bugger... you beat me to it!

While yes, what he proposes probably is a good idea, I'm not convinced it's the most important issue.
In terms of the number of accidents every year, the majority of those are not caused by people with eyesight below the required standard.
Basically, what I'm saying is that there are things that can be done which would produce better results, ie, more lives saved.

That'll be the sensationalist tabloid reporting style that is rife within the BBC these days - you only have to watch the local BBC news to see what desperate rubbish they sex up just to fill a few minutes.


In essence, yes this is a great first step to ensuring that the increasing number of very elderly road users out there - are up to scratch. Actually handing in their licences voluntarily is unheard of. Remember that the oldest of these people never took a driving test - it was just something they were able to do.

Simply, having a driving licence is not a right - it is a privaledge upon demonstration of ability.

Rant over.

Is eyesight tested after an accident? If not, how do we know how many accidents are attributible to poor eyesight?

If I were involved in an accident *touches wood* I think I would insist that the Police check the eyesight of any driver involved. So many people don't wear their specs, or forget, or don't know how poor their eyesight is. Unless people have regular eyetests, how would they know how good/bad their vision is? I'm not singling out the old either, I used to know a girl that 'didn't like' wearing her specs.

I have mine tested regularly since I've needed glasses/contact lenses. But it was a while untill I first realised I needed 'em

:shock:

I wonder why plod doesn't ask all stopped drivers to submit to a quick eyesight test along the lines of that administered by driving examiners. ( read the number on their car, etc.)

If you fail the test, your license is automatically revoked until such time as you are able to pass it. A simple statement by a registered optician etc should be enough to then get renewable 3 year license. And ensure that once defective eyesight has been discovered it is reviewed regularly. As people are advised to get thier sight checked annually etc. it should be a simple procedure to issue such a declaration.

aS PER
 

I get my eyes checked on a regular basis but at one point I didn't get around to it for a couple of years. My eyes deteriorated quite badly but I didn't notice as it was a gradual basis, when I finally got around to getting them tested, my optician had a fit. I definitely shouldn't have been driving around with that prescription.

On a side note, I believe that reaction times should be tested as well. My 84 year old grandmother still drives. She gets her eyes checked and gets it signed off so she is still allowed to drive. Personally, I won't get in the car with her, my heart can't take all the near misses.

I'm comfortably within the legal limit to not wear glasses, but I'd consider it irresponsible of me not to wear glasses when driving/riding at night. It's appaling how bad your vision is allowed to be and that you can still drive. I know most responsible people wouldn't, but there are a lot of selfish people who would keep driving until they were banned.

It's worth remembering lots of the elderly are retired and without eye tests being neccessary for work (as well as being hard up), they are often overlooked (no pun intended :) ).

Personally, I think you should have to pass a fitness/health test every few years to drive too- I remember a guy in bristol having a hard attack at the wheel, crashed and had a head on with a young woman, killing her. The bloke had had a heart attack 6 months or so before. IMO if you're at risk of fainting/losing conciousness at the wheel, you shouldn't be driving. People who are severely epileptic don't drive, why should someone at high risk of a heart attack be able to?

At the moment the DVLA rely on the honesty of the driver to declare any vision defects. If you have made such a declaration, take a look at the back of your photocard and there is a table with the right hand column labeled 12.Codes. There should be a 01 code inserted somewhere which indicates that you need corrective lenses to reach the required standard to drive.

I suspect there are as many if not more "younger" drivers who regularly drive, knowingly or not, with uncorrected defective vision. Maybe it's time for a US style eye test when you renew your licence.

I believe that the current requirement is simply that you can read a number plate at the specified distance in good daylight. This has caused problems with what I think is called luminary myopia i.e. someone who can see perfectly in daylight but not in low light. While they technically need corrective lenses to drive at night, they are not actually breaking the law by not using them as when tested under normal conditions, their vision is adaquate. Anyone know if this is still or ever was the case?