Vision and driving

For the past two weeks I have been working away from the practice, either on one of the west coast islands or on training courses down south. It has meant I have been spending lots of time on ferries or in airport lounges catching up on reading my professional magazines. I was fascinated to discover an article about European vision standards for driving. There is supposed to be harmony in standards across the EU. About the only standard that seems to be implemented throughout Europe is the size of letters on the vision test chart that must be seen to permit you to drive.

What appalled me was finding out the UK has the lowest standard of all. The UK requirement is reading a number plate at 20.5 metres when you sit your driving test. This could be when you are only seventeen years old and you do not need another check of your vision until you stop driving or die. As a driver over seventy you simply need to self-certify you can still read a number plate at 20.5m when you renew your licence. Many EU countries insist on regular eye examinations for drivers. They check you can read a set size of letter on the test chart and many also check your peripheral vision.

A recent survey of UK drivers were found 46% supposedly wear glasses. Amazingly, 20% of those drivers admitted regularly driving without their glasses. If you don’t wear your driving glasses you have a fourfold increase in the risk of having an accident. One in three drivers not needing glasses has not had an eye examination in the last two years.

In Scotland there is no excuse for not having regular eye examinations. NHS Scotland fund free two yearly eye exams for everyone resident in Scotland.