The Association of Optometrists (AOP) is calling on the DfT to make a ‘long overdue’ change to the ‘inadequate’ number plate sight test, first introduced in 1937.
The AOP says almost six in every 10 (56%) of its members said they have a patient who remains on the UK’s roads regardless of their poor vision – a sharp increase from four in 10 in 2019.
On the back of these findings, the AOP is calling for all drivers to be required by law to have their vision checked when they first apply for a licence, and when renewing their driving licence. Every 10 years for most people and every three years for those over 70 years.
The AOP says its findings are supported by a poll carried out among the public which showed that as many as one in every seven (14%) people say they know a relative, friend or co-worker is driving despite having eyesight below the legal standard.
A third of optometrists (32%) also say the number of patients they are advising not to drive due to poor vision has increased in the last three years.
Only two-thirds of motorists said they would stop driving completely if a test showed their vision had fallen below the legal standard – more than one in 20 (6%) would continue driving as normal
1937 Road Traffic Act no longer ‘fit for purpose’
The 1937 Road Traffic Act states that motorists must be able to read a vehicle number plate from 20 metres (approximately 65 feet) in good daylight. The Association of Optometrists says this leaves it to the individual to report their vision status when renewing a licence.
Almost two thirds (65%) of optometrists believe the DVLA guidance in the 1937 Act is ‘dangerously out of date’ and 63% believe it is putting people needlessly at risk of harm on UK roads.
Asked when they believed the laws on vision and driving were introduced, nearly half (48%) of respondants believed they were written in the 1980s or more recently, with only 2% stating the 1930s or before.
The AOP says the ‘vast majority’ (83%) of the public would like to see a standard whereby drivers’ sight must satisfy the vision standards at application and at the renewal of a driving licence, and that this is checked by an eye health professional.
Adam Sampson, chief executive of the AOP, said: “Our latest research is a stark reminder of why our roads in the UK are not as safe as they should be.
“In the UK, the number plate test is not an adequate test of vision. It is carried out only once with a driving instructor, not a trained eye health professional. A driver’s vision can then remain unchecked for the rest of their life.
“This approach is flawed and is out of step with many other countries who use a full sight test as the means to accurately ensure motorists have satisfactory vision to drive safely.
“Change is never easy. There was huge opposition to drink driving laws and the mandatory use of seatbelts – but these interventions save lives. Our polling shows the majority of the public support the idea of mandatory regular sight tests for all drivers.
“That’s why we are calling on the Department for Transport to update the law to ensure all drivers are required to have their vision checked and this should be done by reliable means.”
Professor Julie-Anne Little, a research optometrist, added: “Sight changes are gradual which means that many drivers are unaware that their vision has deteriorated over time. But having poor eyesight has been shown to slow reaction times and the ability to drive safely – and it doesn’t take much for one mistake to result in a serious collision with catastrophic consequences.
“I’ve sometimes had to sit down with a patient to explain that their vision is simply no longer good enough to drive. It is a difficult conversation, but one that is absolutely necessary – preventing them from putting themselves and others at risk. Which is why we’re urging friends and family to take the time to consider what they want to say, approach it with respect, but to tackle the conversation if they have concerns over a relative or someone they know who is driving with poor vision.”
The AOP has produced a toolkit with resources available free of charge for road safety professionals and others to use to support its ‘Don’t swerve a sight test‘ campaign.
Comment on this story