Current vision tests for drivers have been branded ‘long out of date’ by road safety organisation and breakdown-assistance provider GEM Motoring Assist.
Poor vision is a factor in over 3,000 fatal and serious injury collisions in the UK every year, prompting GEM’s road safety officer Neil Worth to call for legislative changes requiring all drivers to undergo detailed eye examinations every 10 years.
Worth explained: ‘We believe it is entirely practical and sensible to require a test of visual acuity every 10 years, something that would fit in with license renewal.
‘Tests of this kind would not only make our roads safer, but they would also play a vital role in the early diagnosis of many other costly medical conditions, irrespective of driving.’
Felicity Gill, a community optometrist working with the organisation, commented: ‘Day to day, I talk to patients concerned about their own driving experiences and also to those worried about an elderly friend or family member who is driving.
‘Remember that driving is not just about clarity of central vision, so asking your loved one to read a number plate at 20.5 metres is not the best way of ensuring they are safe to continue driving.’
With increasing numbers of people staying behind the wheel into their 80s and beyond GEM believes mandatory vision tests for drivers are more necessary than ever. ‘There are many benefits for a driver to staying mobile as long as possible. However, safety must remain the number one priority for everyone,’ said Worth.
