Standards slip

Only 5 per cent of motorists attending for eye examinations are aware of the UK vision standard.

Despite drivers being encouraged to self monitor their vision by occasionally checking they can read a numberplate at 20m, a study published in this month's Ophthalmic and Physiological Optics Journal suggests that just 5 per cent of drivers could describe the standard. Twenty-two per cent cited the older standards, 28 per cent underestimated and 45 per cent overestimated the standard.

In his concluding comments, researcher Jonathan Pointer suggested that the survey implies that increasing patient awareness of the standard could be achieved by an inexpensive and easily implemented programme.