Drivers should face mandatory eye tests when they apply for a licence and every time it is renewed, the Association of Optometrists (AOP) and College of Optometrists have warned.
The optical bodies issued a joint open letter to transport secretary Heidi Alexander, after an inquest into the deaths of four people killed by drivers with failing sight.
Lincolnshire coroner James Adeley sent the transport minister a Prevention of Future Deaths Report in April, warning that enforcement of visual legal standards for motorists is “ineffective and unsafe”. The UK system is “the laxest in Europe,” he said, relying on self-declaration and without the safeguards needed to prevent avoidable deaths.
The AOP and the College of Optometrists stated: “We strongly believe that vision-related accidents are preventable with simple, evidence-based legislative changes.”
The UK is “out of step with best practice internationally and the current vision standards mean UK drivers do not undergo an objective measure of vision and assessment of eye health”.
Optical practices are “well placed to support the delivery of these checks swiftly and effectively” the letter adds. “Lives can and must be saved by ensuring no driver with unsafe vision remains on the road unchecked.”
The transport secretary told the Transport Select Committee in April that she is “open to considering” eye tests as part of the government’s upcoming road safety strategy.
Licences have to be renewed every 10 years for most drivers, and every three years for those over 70.
Roadside checks by police in October and November found 40 per cent of motorists had not had a sight test in two years. More than three per cent of drivers were issued police warnings or had their licence revoked.
Max Halford, ABDO clinical and policy director, said: “The recent tragic loss of life linked to drivers with previously diagnosed vision problems is deeply distressing. ABDO fully recognises the urgency of addressing this issue; good vision is not a luxury for drivers but a fundamental requirement for the safety of the public.
“We need to move beyond relying on the flawed self-declaration system we currently have, and identify a more effective approach. We would welcome members’ input on how they think the present system can be improved,” Max added.
Members can get in contact by emailing policy@abdo.org.uk
Read the letter in full here.
Find resources to share with patients about eye tests and driving from ABDO’s EyecareFAQ.