Bill Harvey: When advice may save lives

The recent tragic case of the toddler killed by a pensioner who was driving despite having been told they had vision outside the recommended level raises a number of points relevant to practice.

Firstly, it is always worth remembering that the link between driving safety and vision has many influences. Though acuity is obviously essential to see road signs and other details, other aspects of vision are also important. Significant encroachment of the visual field can have a major impact, as can sudden changes to a driver’s vision, as for example when the vision in one eye suddenly drops or is lost.