Road safety minister Mike Penning has confirmed that the government intends to introduce legislation in October to allow drivers with insulin-treated diabetes to apply for a licence to drive larger lorries and buses.
But in a written parliamentary answer last week he said no decision had yet been made on new standards for drivers' vision. Further input was being sought from some of those who had responded to the consultation which ended in April, and a date for implementation or publication of responses had not been set.
Asked by MP Meg Munn whether the number plate test met the requirements of the 2009 EC Directive, which includes a recommendation for a visual field of at least 120º, Penning said the test was not intended or used to test the visual field.
'Optician-based eyesight tests are used to ensure that those who have an underlying eye condition affecting the visual field are able to meet the appropriate standard,' he stated.