Dispensing optician John Snelgrove receives reply from DVLA about vision testing for drivers

John Snelgrove, a Hertfordshire based dispensing optician, has received a reply from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) regarding his letter about vision testing for drivers.

Snelgrove wrote to the DVLA last year asking them to recommend to all drivers to be told by an eyecare professional that their eyesight is legally good enough to drive.

Paul Murphy, who works in medical licensing policy at the DVLA, said that ‘there is little evidence to suggest that introducing a stricter regime to include mandatory testing or medical examinations would improve road safety. The 2017 European Commission Study on Driver Training, Testing and Medical Fitness found that age-based mandatory assessment programmes, specifically targeting older drivers, are unlikely to produce safety benefits.’