Drivers' vision debate remains on amber

The government is to conduct a second formal consultation on vision standards for UK drivers and expects to implement changes before April 2012.

Dr Judith Morgan, senior medical adviser at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, said that the second consultation would be launched next month and all those who responded to the initial consultation, which ended in April, would be invited to take part.

Speaking at an event in London last week on older drivers and fitness to drive, Dr Morgan said that the main difficulty had been that the EU had proposed a minimum visual acuity of 6/12 Snellen but the current UK standard was measured by the number plate test. Dr Morgan also expressed concern that UK requirements should be in line with those of other EU countries. 'We don't want to impose on UK drivers more stringent requirements than elsewhere in Europe,' she said.