Over half a million people in the UK are driving with dangerously poor eyesight putting themselves and other road users at risk, a recent study claims.
Researchers in South Wales randomly stopped drivers and asked them to read four different number plates at distances of 10, 15, 20 and 25 metres. One in 60 drivers were unable to read the number plates at a distance of 20m or more (the standard needed to pass a driving test). This failure rate increased to one in 45 for drivers aged 40 and over.
Currently, eyesight is tested when you first sit your driving test and again at the age of 70, when your driving licence is reviewed. Unless vision is checked during this time, it could deteriorate to below the required safe level for driving.
The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) recommends that everyone should have an "MOT" eye test every two years to ensure they are fit to drive. The authors of the study agree, although they argue that the magnitude of this problem calls into question the adequacy of current legislation. They suggest that regular eye tests should be mandatory and advise tests every five years for those over 40 and every two years for people aged over 60.
Several of the drivers participating in the study were unable to pass the 20m reading test because they weren't wearing their glasses - they had left them at home or simply forgot to put them on. The researchers comment that this highlights a lack of personal responsibility, and that there is an urgent need to raise awareness and educate drivers about the standard of vision required to drive safely.
