Driving over 70

[Veryveryconcerned]

It took me time to decide but after getting other people’s opinions I reported an over 70 driver to the DVLA due to poor eyesight. Prior to the person’s 70th birthday they had said they were getting rid of their 3.5 tonne van as they said they would not pass the test to be able to continue driving it. The person is virtually blind in one eye and the eyesight is not good in the other. They do not get their eyes tested because they do not want to have to stop driving. My concern is the other people on the roads.
Does anyone know how long it takes and what exactly the DVLA do when they receive a report. I have reported it anonymously but it was about 8 weeks ago which is very concerning.
Am I worrying unnecessarily?

Not sure why you had to mention their age - surely the issue is an eyesight problem and nit an age problem.

A friend, who's an optician, told me they've just advised a 30 year old to stop driving due to their eyesight. The customer drove away and the optician is not required to notify DVLA. Eyesight tests for ALL drivers should be mandatory!

I agree. Every driver should have to undergo an eye test at regular intervals, regardless of age.

I was just reading an article on aging drivers on the BBC. There needs to be more testing, and for HCPs to report to DVLA as the drivers are not doing it themselves. The royal college of ophthalmologists also wants mandatory eye tests for driver.

And licences only have a limited timespan so if you don't go, your licence runs out, and you should then have to re-take your test before getting it back.

The DVLA will only notify you that they have received your report. After that you won't hear from them with the outcome. They will contact the person you reported and ask them to complete a form with evidence from (in this case) an optician that they are for to drive. If the person doesn't comply within a fixed time their licence will be revoked. They can be instructed to re-take their test if the optician says they are fit to drive with corrective prescription spectacles.

The optician has to be approved by the DVLA to do the test.

Where dementia or other health condition is suspected then the GP and/or hospital will be required to complete an assessment and report. Also within a fixed time and again licence can be revoked if deadline is missed. They can also force a re-take of the driving test if the report is submitted on time or decide the person isn't fit to drive.

I mentioned their age because I only learnt of the issue when they were approaching 70 and said about getting rid of their 3.5 tonne van and why. Prior to that I didn’t know how bad their eyesight was.

I also think all Dementia diagnoses should not drive at all, as no one knows the level of deteriation inbetween being seen.

I think age is irrelevant my mum is in her 80s and drives 5 hours to visit me once a month but I’m only in my 40s and have absolutely no sense of direction and can’t see without my glasses which is fine until I put my sunglasses on. She’s a lot safer than me.

I totally agree - eyesight tests should be mandatory for all drivers at regular intervals. At least if they made it mandatory for people 70+ it would be a start. All opticians should have to report people to the DVLA as well.
I don’t understand how people can continue to drive without getting a test - how would they feel if they killed a child or any human.
i can understand it must be heartbreaking to have to stop driving but sadly it will come to all of us at some point.
Hopefully in the case I have raised the DVLA are on it. I just think 8 weeks from when I reported it is a very long time. The person is driving every day.

Not RTFT and I don't know how long it will take the DVLA, but tell that person to watch 'Cause of Death' on Channel 5, think it may have been the very 1st episode of series 1. Four people were killed by drivers whose eyesight was so bad, that they couldn't read a number plate, let alone see a person in front of them. In a cruel twist, one of the victims had recently stopped driving after his optician said his eyesight wasn't up to the standard for driving. An innocent man, who had done the right thing, was mown down by a driver who refused to do the same. Shocking! It was a hard watch.

I passed my test when I was 17. 4 years later I lost most of my vision through migraines. My consultant who registered me as partially sighted gave me a letter for the dvla to hand in to say I was no longer fit to drive. I’ve not driven since. But that letter shouldn’t have been given to me, it should go directly to the dvla in my opinion. Everyone should have a mandatory eye test every 3 years, I used to work an opticians too, it’s scary how some people think they can still drive with uncorrected bad vision.

My eyesight is terrible but im not required to inform the DVLA. I wear glasses for driving and would never drive without them, thats all thats required legally. It obviously depends on the condition they have etc but not all people with poor eye sight have to tell DVLA and /or stop driving

Being blind in one eye doesn't automatically mean you can't drive, as long as you have adequate sight in the other eye and are aware of your blind spots and use mirrors accordingly.

But if you feel that the person's overall vision is not up to the required standard then you should say something.

But it's nothing to do with being 70. I know one very sprightly 96 year old who is still driving and has no issues, and I avoid being driven by someone who is much younger than me because they never seem to be concentrating.

i think eye tests shouldl be mandatory for all drivers

i think they have to wait the person to respond op then ask for medical records or an optician report

(Apologies if this has already been said, I haven’t read all replies)

Please report this to the police via 111. I did this when a car went through a red light and nearly killed me, the car clipped the back of my legs and the driver just waved at the pedestrians that were trying to alert him to what he’d just done. There was no CCTV sadly but I reported it anyway. A PC rang me within days saying that when they’d checked the plate it was an elderly driver, and the police have the authority to do an “elderly driver check” on anyone over 70 for any reason. If the police aren’t satisfied with the outcome of the check, they can take their license off them there and then. Please inform the police, you are absolutely right and I dread to think what could have happened to me that day.

Surely it should be all drivers, eyesight usually deteriorates around 40 or 50.

Agree. Most 70 year olds are hale and hearty.

Your post is to do with eyesight. And ageist.

No, the photo bit has a limited timespan (10 years).
If it expires, you need a new photo. You do not need to take your test again.

I've had a number of eye surgeries. The aftercare sheet information tells you when you can drive again which is after a checkup.

We had two months ago two awful accidents. Elderly men mistakenly using accelerator instead of brake. The first accident driver 93 killed the pedestrian. I haven't heard about the second victim.

We're in a retirement area this type of accident is not unusual.

The DVLA will probably ignore it as you can drive if you can't see in one eye as long as the other one is ok or corrected with glasses/contacts.

Everyone over 70 should have to take a test every two years.

From the OP.

"The person is virtually blind in one eye and the eyesight is not good in the other. They do not get their eyes tested because they do not want to have to stop driving."

This doesn't sound like someone whose better eye "is ok or corrected with glasses/contacts".

OP, you've done the right thing by reporting, and I hope action is taken soon.

100% this it is not about age. 70 isn't old anyway

People may not be “required” to inform the DLI if they have poor driving eyesight, but I should imagine that the consequences of killing a child or other individual because of their poor eyesight would be pretty terrible and made a whole lot worse if they had not done the right thing and told DVLA, knowing full well that they are not meeting the requirements for driving. I should be imagine the prosecution in such a case would make full use of such knowledge.