Latest news with #eyetest
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Telegraph
Quarter of drivers don't bother getting eyes checked
Almost a quarter of motorists have not had an eyesight test in the past two years, a survey suggests. The poll, commissioned by the insurer Churchill, revealed that 24 per cent of motorists had not had their vision checked by a professional optometrist within that period. Drivers must be able to read a number plate 20 metres away as part of the driving test, but that is the only time they are required to prove their sight is good enough for them to drive. It comes amid growing public concern that some drivers, especially older ones, have eyesight quality that is below the legal minimum. A senior coroner earlier this year said that ' self-reporting of visual conditions permits drivers to lie', while Heidi Alexander, the Transport Secretary, has said she was 'open to considering' mandatory eye tests. Nicholas Mantel, the head of motor insurance at Churchill, said: 'It seems surprising that UK drivers never need to prove that their eyesight is safe enough for driving once they have passed their driving test. 'What is even more remarkable is that some people continue to drive despite suspecting that their eyesight isn't good enough – or are doing so without wearing their prescription lenses or glasses. 'Our research suggests that there's overwhelming public support to make our roads safer by introducing compulsory eyesight tests for drivers.' Churchill's survey, carried out by Opinium, polled 2,000 adults, of whom just over 1,300 were drivers. Some 12 per cent of surveyed drivers admitted they either thought their sight was not road legal, or were unsure if it was. About 83 per cent of UK adults would support compulsory eye tests for drivers every decade, Churchill's poll revealed. That figure rose to 88 per cent for those who would be in favour of sight exams every three years once drivers reached the age of 70. The law says a licence holder must inform the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) if they are no longer fit to drive, which includes if their eyesight has deteriorated beyond the legal minimum. Ms Alexander received a prevention of future deaths report from the senior coroner for Lancashire in April after four pensioners were killed by drivers with failing eyesight. 'The motorists had ignored the advice of opticians that their sight had deteriorated to a level at which they should no longer be behind the wheel,' said Dr James Adeley. Department for Transport (DfT) figures show that, in 2023, 240 people were injured and seven killed in crashes in which defective eyesight was a factor. That was the most casualties since 2017, when the total was 262. A DfT spokesman said: 'Every death on our roads is a tragedy, and our thoughts remain with the families of everyone who has lost a loved one in this way. 'The NHS recommends adults should have their eyes tested every two years and drivers are legally required to inform the DVLA if they have a condition which affects their eyesight. We are committed to improving road safety and continue to explore ways to achieve this.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Almost quarter of drivers have not had eye test in past two years
Nearly one in four drivers (24%) have not had an eye test in the past two years, a new survey suggests. The poll, commissioned by insurer Churchill, comes amid growing concern over the lack of checks on drivers once they pass their test. Drivers in the UK must read a number plate 20 metres away as part of their driving test, but that is the only time they are required to prove their sight is good enough to drive. The NHS recommends people have their eyes tested every two years. Motorists are required to self-declare if they have a medical condition that could affect their ability to drive. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander received a prevention of future deaths report from HM Senior Coroner for Lancashire Dr James Adeley in April, which related to the deaths of four people killed by drivers with failing eyesight. The motorists had ignored the advice of opticians that their sight had deteriorated to a level where they should no longer drive. The Churchill survey suggested that 83% of UK adults would support compulsory eye tests for drivers every decade. The figure rises to 88% for those who would be in favour of sight exams every three years once drivers reach 70 years old. Some 12% of drivers surveyed admitted they either thought their sight was not road legal, or were not sure it was. Department of Transport (DfT) figures show 240 people were injured and seven were killed in crashes on Britain's roads in 2023 in which defective eyesight was a factor. That was the most casualties since 2017, when the total was 262. Nicholas Mantel, head of motor insurance at Churchill, said: 'It seems surprising that UK drivers never need to prove that their eyesight is safe enough for driving once they have passed their driving test. 'What is even more remarkable is that some people continue to drive despite suspecting that their eyesight isn't good enough – or are doing so without wearing their prescription lenses or glasses. 'Our research suggests that there's overwhelming public support to make our roads safer by introducing compulsory eyesight tests for drivers.' Ms Alexander recently told the Commons Transport Select Committee she is 'open to considering' requiring older motorists to pass eye tests to keep their driving licence. This could be part of the Government's upcoming road safety strategy. A DfT spokesman said: 'Every death on our roads is a tragedy, and our thoughts remain with the families of everyone who has lost a loved one in this way. 'The NHS recommends adults should have their eyes tested every two years and drivers are legally required to inform the DVLA if they have a condition which affects their eyesight. 'We are committed to improving road safety and continue to explore ways to achieve this.' – The survey was conducted by research company Opinium between May 20-23 among 2,000 UK adults, of whom 1,312 were drivers.
Daily Mail
12-05-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Mail
Time for older drivers to have regular eye tests? Crash data suggests so...
Calls for older drivers to have their eyesight scrutinised more regularly are set to ramp up as road collision data shows injuries sustained in crashes in which poor vision was a contributing factor reached a six-year high. Department for Transport statistics show 252 people were hurt in road collisions where below-par eyesight was reported in 2023 - the highest number since 2017 when 262 were injured. Among the 252 instances were six deaths - two more than in 2017 - of which three were pedestrians. And with the majority of injuries sustained by passengers in vehicles, it highlights that drivers with poor eyesight are posing grave danger to others as well as themselves. The statistics come as ministers have hinted that a change to rules around eyesight checks for older motorists could be rung in as part of Labour's forthcoming road safety strategy. Under current law, motorists over the age of 70 have to renew their driving licence every three years. This includes declaring they are medically fit to be behind the wheel without any tests. The DfT's data reveals that 42 per cent of incidents involving drivers over 70 were due to sight problems. The figures are expected to mount further pressure on transport ministers to update rules for older drivers to retain their licences, following years of campaigning for over 70s to face compulsory eye tests. As it stands, senior drivers must apply for their licence every three years after turning 70. This includes a declaration to confirm they are medically fit to remain on the road. However, this entirely based on driver honesty and truthfulness, with no requirement to provide medical records or eyesight test results. With concerns regarding older drivers' visibility, police forces across the country launched a nationwide campaign - this involved random checks of motorist eyesight at the roadside. Some 3,010 individuals were pulled over and asked to replicate the practical test requirement for learners to read a vehicle's number plate from 20 metres - the only time any motorists are currently required to prove the quality of their vision. In 50 instances, drivers were unable to read the characters on the registration plate. Based on 1.7 per cent of the nation's 42million qualified motorist having poor eyesight, it means almost 720,650 drivers could be on the road despite not adhering to the legal minimum requirement. The DfT's data reveals that 42% of crashes on the road resulting in injury that involved drivers over 70 was either partly or wholly due to eyesight issues Speaking to The Times earlier this month, Edmund King, the president of the AA, said: 'Good eyesight is necessary for every driver, especially as we watch and use screens and expose our eyes to blue light.' He added that as drivers get older, regular eye tests not only assure they are 'safe to be on the roads' but can also 'identify other potential medical problems'. Some 5,967,076 of all licence-holding drivers in Britain in 2023 were over the age of 70 - a record high and 2 million more than a decade earlier (3,902,135 in 2012), an exclusive report by This is Money revealed two years ago. DVLA figures also revealed that the number of people aged 80 or over with a full driving licence in 2023 had increased by 94,818 compared to the year previous - taking the total to 1,649,277, which represented around 4 per cent of all qualified motorists. It's a similar story for over 90s, with numbers jumping by 93 per cent in a decade to 137,281 individuals in 2023, while there were 510 people at the ripe age of 100 and above legally listed as on the road that year. In 2012, there were only 162 centurions with licences, meaning numbers had increased by 215 per cent in just over a decade. UK's driver licensing system 'laxest in Europe' MPs are already being pressed to clampdown on the number of ageing motorists currently on the road with poor eyesight in a bid to tackle flat-lining road casualty statistics. With the number of killed and seriously injured each year not falling significantly since the early 2010s, road safety experts believe this is one area worth attention to trigger a decline. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander told the Commons Transport Select Committee last week that eyesight tests for older motorists is something she is 'open to considering' as part of the Government's forthcoming road safety strategy. Earlier in April, the MP for Swindon South had received a prevention of future deaths report from HM Senior Coroner for Lancashire Dr James Adeley, which related to the deaths of four people killed by drivers with failing eyesight. Ms Alexander said: 'I know that reading that report will be very distressing for the families of the victims who were killed. 'That, of course, was a situation where the optician had suggested to (four) individuals that they needed to advise the authorities that they had a medical condition which affected their eyesight and where they shouldn't be driving. 'And of course, that didn't happen. So I am open to considering the evidence on this issue.' Dr Adeley described the UK's eyesight rules as part of the licensing system as 'the laxest in Europe'. He wrote: 'Self-reporting of visual conditions permits drivers to lie about their current driving status to those performing an ophthalmic assessment and avoid warnings not to drive. 'Drivers may also admit they drive but then ignore instructions not to drive and fail to notify the DVLA.' He made the remarks at the inquests in Preston of Marie Cunningham, 79, Grace Foulds, 85, Peter Westwell, 80, and Anne Ferguson, 75. Asked when the road safety strategy will be released, Ms Alexander replied: 'We will be publishing the first new road safety strategy in 10 years, and we hope to publish that document later this year.'
