All drivers should have eye sight tests to retain their licence

[LoisPrice]

and they should be every 5 years reducing to yearly when over 70 years old https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-66053510

I recognise that this would be an additional expense/administrative burden, but a car is a deadly weapon in the wrong hands - and I'm fed up hearing things like 'my wife is a terrible driver, so I bought her an SUV, to keep her safe'. NO this is NOT a good idea.

How come it's noted on your driving licence? I need glasses or contacts to drive but it's not on my licence.

Regarding providing the DVLA with proof of buying glasses/lenses, there would have to be some sort of tolerance. I had my eyes tested last week and my prescription has changed but only slightly. I'm not wasting money on new glasses when mine are perfectly fine but my prescription would show a change.

The DVLA would also have to start being fit for purpose if any of this is to be brought in and I can't see that ever happening!

An eye test at Specsavers is £20-£25 if you have to pay for them. Glasses are from £15 if needed.

hardly a rediculous cost and certainly not an excuse not to maintain safe driving vision.

I wish I could get glasses for £15 !

No idea. I assume it is because I wore glasses at the time of getting my initial license, I didn’t realise until DS pointed it out to me once when looking!

It's more likely that younger people don't have eye tests than older people as the test is free but not the glasses over 60

I suppose that "from" is the proviso.
Times by 10 and add £50 for a useable pair for me.

Biggest problem is because of GDPA the opticicians cant tell dvla if someones eyesight isnt good enough to be on the road

As others have pointed out, this is untrue:

https://www.college-optometrists.org/clinical-guidance/guidance/knowledge,-skills-and-performance/examining-patients-who-drive#Ifyouthinkapatientisunfittodrive

I think its a great idea in principal however in practice the DVLA is a long way from having capacity to administrate this.

I was medically revoked for 6 months due to brain surgery. But in effect was unable to drive for nearer a year becuase the DVLA took so long to get me booked in and processed for the tests to prove fitness to drive.

They also only let you use a few high street opticians they have contracts with as 'no others know the standard'.

I think the a better use of limited resources would be a full retest at 75 to ensure reactions and sight are still in tact.

Operating a potentially deadly hunk of machinery (ie driving) is a privilege, not a right. It’s fair to make people demonstrate that they continue to be fit to carry that privilege. It’s not free to get a licence as it is anyway.

There are significant resource issues. The DVLA would need to provide actual services to monitor people’s eyesight, and also to re-examine everyone every decade as part of the renewals process. That is not a small undertaking.

It’s much easier to announce ‘they should just X, Y and Z’ than it is to make it actually happen - and at a cost people are willing to pay.

The minimum is a pretty low bar however- it’s only the first 2-3 lines of the eye chart.

Is that true?

I thought you had to be able to read a licence plate from 60 feet away?

The OP also ignores that most opticians are self employed, so they are not going to do this for free.
And that this would cause a massive shortage of opticians.

Most older generation vote Tory so they aren't going to introduce a law where over 70s have to take an eyesight or competency test.

It would involve so much work and cost so much to make happen. Firstly your need legislation - so that’ll be quick. 😆 Then you need to actually design and develop complex, multi-provider services to ensure that the right kinds of testing are done and the results communicated where and how you want them. And these services will need to integrate with existing services. And then, once you’ve navigated your way through that… you need to operate those services.

Without significant evidence that licensing that requires people to have biannual eye tests would actually solve a significant problem (the problem itself still being very poorly defined, as people have rushed to solutions), it’ll never happen. Is there a significant problem with drivers of all ages having car accidents because they haven’t had an eye test in the last two years in the UK? Even if there is that exact problem (not a different one, like people not wearing their glasses), would the proposed solution make any difference?

FrippEnos. Why should it be for free? If you want to drive then get tested to show you have the sight to drive. If people are dying due to this issue surely it’s worth while being more stringent, both for other road users and other drivers

In Spain they do, both to get and renew license. Eye check, reactions check and some fine and gross motor tests.

Is there a significant problem with drivers of all ages having car accidents because they haven’t had an eye test in the last two years in the UK?

3000 injured per year due to failed eyesight

Why do you think if you can afford A+B+C then you can afford D as well? Many people would be struggling to pay for what is currently required.

The man saying it is statistically more likely to cause an accident, probably.

I don’t necessarily disagree about regular eye tests, but given the statistics, it seems that young men between 17 and 21 perhaps shouldn’t be allowed to drive. Lots of anecdotal evidence on this thread, but there are also lots of old, competent drivers. I’m not convinced making old drivers resit tests is fair if other groups get a pass.

Why do you think if you can afford A+B+C then you can afford D as well? Many people would be struggling to pay for what is currently required.

how much is life worth, if it prevents 3000 crashes each year then surely it’s a moral obligation

I agree £25 for an eye test is hardly bank breaking if you can afford to run a car.

Eye and reaction tests should be mandatory. Just like cats have to have mots to prove they are road worthy people should have “mots” to check they are car worthy.

Cars not cats 😂😂 good job I don’t drive 🙃

I never said a licence was free. This would be an additional cost on top of everything else. What should people who are already struggling give up to pay for it? Where does it end, regular full medicals to make sure the person doesn't have any medical conditions they don't know about yet that may affect driving too?