1m with bad vision are on road illegally

Safety fears as drivers ignore medical advice

AROUND a million people with poor eyesight could be driving illegally on Britain roads, say experts.

More than a third of optometrists have recently seen a patient with severely bad eyesight who has continued to drive against their advice, a study published today reveals.

Based on this figure, it is estimated that around one million people could be driving despite not meeting legal minimum eyesight standards.

The true figure could be even higher, with a separate poll finding that three in ten drivers have doubted whether their vision is good enough to get behind the wheel.

Campaigners have called for a so-called Poppy’s Law, making it a legal requirement for medical professionals to report patients who are unfit to drive. This followed the death of threeyear-old Poppy-Arabella Clarke, who was killed last year by a 73-year- old motorist who had ignored opticians’ warnings not to drive and was not wearing his glasses at the time.

With more than 32 million cars on Britain’s roads and 46 million qualified drivers, there are fears many more could be putting themselves and others at risk.

The report from the Association of Optometrists (AOP) found that 35 per cent of practitioners had seen a patient within the previous month whose vision was below the legal standard but still drive despite being advised not to.

But the concerns about poor eyesight are also shared by drivers themselves. A poll of more than 2,000 drivers commis- sioned by the AOP found that 30 per cent were worried their vision was so blurred they should not be driving.

A quarter (26 per cent) said they have delayed getting their eyes checked despite suspecting their vision has deteriorated. And 16 per cent admitted to knowing a driver whose eyesight they believed to be below the minimum legal vision stand- ard. Worryingly, only 40 per cent of drivers said they would stop driving altogether if they were told their vision was below the legal minimum standard.

Britain has some of the most relaxed vision requirements for drivers in Europe.

There is no mandatory eye exam apart from having to read a number plate on a parked vehicle at the start of the practical driving test. This means a 17-year- old may continue to drive for the rest of their life with no further checks.

Drivers have to renew their licence when they reach the age of 70 and then every three years after that. But this merely involves filling in a form declaring they are fit to drive and that their health and vision does not stop them from driving safely.

All motorists are legally obliged to tell the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) if they have problems with their eyesight, but their licence will continue to be renewed if they do not admit to having difficulties.

The dangers of relying of this self-reporting system has been highlighted in several tragic cases. Seven people were killed and 63 seriously injured in accidents on Britain’s roads last year when ‘uncorrected, defective eyesight’ was a contributory factor, according to the Department for Transport.

AOP board member Dr JulieAnne Little said Britain ‘falls behind many other countries’ due to its reliance on self-reporting and the initial number plate test. Her group has launched a Don’t Swerve A Sight Test campaign urging people to get tested every two years.

‘Because sight changes can be gradual, often people won’t realise that their vision has deteriorated over time,’ said Dr Little.

‘ This campaign is about reminding drivers that with a visit to their optometrist they can not only make sure they meet the standard but help make our roads safer.’

Optometrists and GPs are not legally obliged to report patients they believe are unfit to drive. But they can breach patient confidentiality and report a patient to the DVLA if they believe they have not alerted authorities themselves.

A Department for Transport spokesman said: ‘ If you are unsure whether your eyesight meets the standards, you should notify the DVLA and speak to an optician.’

‘Help make our roads safer’