Letter: Regular eye tests for drivers of dubious value

I certainly agree with Nick Rumney (In Focus) that registered optometrists and opticians should not feel limited by GOC regulations if they wish to report a driver to the DVLA as being unfit to drive.

I would certainly have no hesitation to do so if I felt the driver was a danger to the public and was not going to take advice to stop driving. For anyone who is unsure of the procedure for this process, they should consult the invaluable document Assessing fitness to drive – a guide for medical professionals (www.gov.uk).

But concerning the issue of regular sight tests for drivers, I think a lot more work has to be done before this is ever going to happen. For those keen on introducing this measure I would suggest there are two major factors to consider: the official statistics on road accidents; and the issue of who pays for the sight test.