An Opticians Viewpoint - Oh my god
Discussion
My brothers girlfriend is an Optician, we got chatting about vision & driving. Now this is just her figures & obviously distorted a bit as not everyone goes for regular eye tests.
About 55% of those who turn up for an eye test with or without glasses would fail the driving test standard!!!!!!
EVERY DAY they get people in through the door WHO SHOULD NOT BE DRIVING yet they arrive & leave by car!. Also a large percentage of those who should wear their glasses for driving don't as they either don't want to or don't like it.
I was gobsmacked so was everyone else, if this is'nt the most frightening thing I have heard about the general publics ability to be driving a car then I don't what is.
She manages a large well known opticians & she gets to see the figures. Due to patient confidentiality they can't report them or do anything about it. It would appear they only walk through the door when seriously eyesight problems are upon them.
Is this why there are so numpties on our roads?, it does explain a lot does'nt it...............
Sod the effing speed traps stop everyone for an eyetest like NOW.
About 55% of those who turn up for an eye test with or without glasses would fail the driving test standard!!!!!!
EVERY DAY they get people in through the door WHO SHOULD NOT BE DRIVING yet they arrive & leave by car!. Also a large percentage of those who should wear their glasses for driving don't as they either don't want to or don't like it.
I was gobsmacked so was everyone else, if this is'nt the most frightening thing I have heard about the general publics ability to be driving a car then I don't what is.
She manages a large well known opticians & she gets to see the figures. Due to patient confidentiality they can't report them or do anything about it. It would appear they only walk through the door when seriously eyesight problems are upon them.
Is this why there are so numpties on our roads?, it does explain a lot does'nt it...............
Sod the effing speed traps stop everyone for an eyetest like NOW.
I've always suspected as much. In fact I think BiB should be entitled to carry out a sight test at the seen of an accident or on any occasion when they stop a driver for a motoring offence.
I think that's why so many people drive down the middle of roads or hog lane 2, because they are worried about bumping into lamp posts and armco.
I think that's why so many people drive down the middle of roads or hog lane 2, because they are worried about bumping into lamp posts and armco.
cptsideways said:
My brothers girlfriend is an Optician, we got chatting about vision & driving. Now this is just her figures & obviously distorted a bit as not everyone goes for regular eye tests.
About 55% of those who turn up for an eye test with or without glasses would fail the driving test standard!!!!!!
EVERY DAY they get people in through the door WHO SHOULD NOT BE DRIVING yet they arrive & leave by car!. Also a large percentage of those who should wear their glasses for driving don't as they either don't want to or don't like it.
I was gobsmacked so was everyone else, if this is'nt the most frightening thing I have heard about the general publics ability to be driving a car then I don't what is.
She manages a large well known opticians & she gets to see the figures. Due to patient confidentiality they can't report them or do anything about it. It would appear they only walk through the door when seriously eyesight problems are upon them.
Is this why there are so numpties on our roads?, it does explain a lot does'nt it...............
Sod the effing speed traps stop everyone for an eyetest like NOW.
Steady on - it really isn't that simple. There are certainly people driving with dangerous eyesight problems, but the standard eyesight test does little to assure or measure a useful standard.
Imagine for example trying to pass the standard eyesight test in the rain or the fog - noone could pass - but does that make us crash in large numbers? No it does not.
We have great scope for adapting our driving to what we can see, including bad weather and many eyesight problems.
What scares me most is drivers with tunnel vision - but the crude eyesight test does nothing at all to measure that.
Best Regards,
Paul Smith
Safe Speed
www.safespeed.org.uk
I am short sighted and need my glasses for driving. without them Imagine if you will driving down a streight road tehn all off a suden a corner appears(out of the blur).
Ok you can adjust your driving and drive slower but it still is taking away from you all kinds safety aspects like looking ahead and being aware of your surroundings.
also I would be concentrating so hard trying to see what was coming I would not be able to look for cars approaching junctions and judging the speed of vehicles is also next to imposible.
So what is second nature is now taking up so much concentration that there isnt much left. (I would have spent my 10 dollars)
also I know I would be pulling out on cars/bikes if I didnt wear my glasses that is a fact as they just arnt there until they get a certain distance away.
All people should have compulsory eye tests every few years to be able to keep their licence.
You can be a registered blind person and have a driver's licence. The disability does not preclude you from driving.
But, even more scary:
Police can demand an eye-test. One of my PCs stopped a chap who was driving very slowly, noticed marks from glasses on his nose and, as it was night-time (the eyesight test has to be done in good daylight) issued him with an HO/RT1 (producer). The PC who conducted the test got the chap down to 10 meters and he still couldn't read the number. Went to court, fined but no ban as he could pass the test with his glasses on.
He might be out there now, so take care.
Derek
But, even more scary:
Police can demand an eye-test. One of my PCs stopped a chap who was driving very slowly, noticed marks from glasses on his nose and, as it was night-time (the eyesight test has to be done in good daylight) issued him with an HO/RT1 (producer). The PC who conducted the test got the chap down to 10 meters and he still couldn't read the number. Went to court, fined but no ban as he could pass the test with his glasses on.
He might be out there now, so take care.
Derek
I'm an Optometrist
The following is the impreesion you get working with Joe Public everday
Everybody feels eveybody else should have an eye examination, but they are ok to drive as they only go locally/were they know/or in daylight.
Everybody feels an examination is important, but should be free.
Everybody feels every other class of driver should be forced to have a more stringent examination.
Everybody feels eye examinations should be compulsory, but they are OK at the moment.
An extended examination including fields and night tests should be done but paid for by another body.
The reality
Yes 55% failure rate quite believeable.
The standard number plate is not reproduced in a normal examination (only an approximation).
A lot of people do not accept the advice to drive with spectacles.
The only time a GP wants to know about eyes is when he has to sign a form from DVLA.
The public are as tight as a ducks ar$e when paying for medical services.
Most people begrudge buying specatcles
The following is the impreesion you get working with Joe Public everday
Everybody feels eveybody else should have an eye examination, but they are ok to drive as they only go locally/were they know/or in daylight.
Everybody feels an examination is important, but should be free.
Everybody feels every other class of driver should be forced to have a more stringent examination.
Everybody feels eye examinations should be compulsory, but they are OK at the moment.
An extended examination including fields and night tests should be done but paid for by another body.
The reality
Yes 55% failure rate quite believeable.
The standard number plate is not reproduced in a normal examination (only an approximation).
A lot of people do not accept the advice to drive with spectacles.
The only time a GP wants to know about eyes is when he has to sign a form from DVLA.
The public are as tight as a ducks ar$e when paying for medical services.
Most people begrudge buying specatcles
safespeed said:
What scares me most is drivers with tunnel vision - but the crude eyesight test does nothing at all to measure that.
I read many years ago (don't know if it is still true) that you could have such severe tunnel vision, that you could be registered blind, and still pass the sight test.
Derek Smith said:
Went to court, fined but no ban as he could pass the test with his glasses on.
So, is driving without glasses, when you need them to pass the vision test, only liable to a fine and no points?
I have astigmatism and so have work specs for driving for about 15 years. I always take great care to ensure my eyesight is up to scratch and indeed much better than that required to pass the standard eye test. Seeing is however a bit overated for driving purposes, particularly for normal driving. Sure if you tested the formula 1 guys they would all check out with fantastic eyesight, but for ordinary road use it is really the use of the information the eyes gather which is most important. For example, the silly DFT count a crash as speed related, when a numpty pulls out of a junction and gets smashed by the oncoming vehicle. They may have had good or bad eyesight, but the important fact is they saw but did not register the speed of the oncoming vehicle.
Often street lighting is a hindrance rather than a help on Mways and dual carriageways, and indeed on country roads. If you visit Le Mans, at night the amateur drivers are the ones with huge lighting rigs on the front of their cars where as the best times are always posted by the top pros with little more than standard lights. Again I offer this as support that eyesight is of much less importance than we might at first think.
Often street lighting is a hindrance rather than a help on Mways and dual carriageways, and indeed on country roads. If you visit Le Mans, at night the amateur drivers are the ones with huge lighting rigs on the front of their cars where as the best times are always posted by the top pros with little more than standard lights. Again I offer this as support that eyesight is of much less importance than we might at first think.
inmate said:
I think they should invent prescription windscreens, cooler then spectacles
Billy connolly did a thing on Prescription windscreens years ago.
He said that if you were driving infront of the car all you see in the rear view was a big eye, and if you were going the other way it would just be a HUGE head.
I'll see if I can dig up a sound bite
Surely the problem is not people's eyesight but the general lack of acceptance that driving is an act not to be undertaken lightly.
If we could could get that much underutilised commodity "common sense" in action I would wager life in general would be much more pleasant and safer as well as the driving issues. Much less need for nanny laws which are often more or less unenforceable.
As long as individuals are so utter numptys as to refuse to wear specs due to vanity when they clearly know they are boz eyed then what hope have we got?
If we could could get that much underutilised commodity "common sense" in action I would wager life in general would be much more pleasant and safer as well as the driving issues. Much less need for nanny laws which are often more or less unenforceable.
As long as individuals are so utter numptys as to refuse to wear specs due to vanity when they clearly know they are boz eyed then what hope have we got?
tvradict said:
I think they should invent prescription windscreens, cooler then spectacles
Billy connolly did a thing on Prescription windscreens years ago.
He said that if you were driving infront of the car all you see in the rear view was a big eye, and if you were going the other way it would just be a HUGE head.
I'll see if I can dig up a sound bite
Billy Conolly is an absolute menace. I remember this gag and he nearly had me in a state of collapse. I couldn't breath for laughing and nearly ended up being sick. He should carry a goverment health warning.
rospa said:
inmate said:
I think they should invent prescription windscreens, cooler then spectacles
Billy connolly did a thing on Prescription windscreens years ago.
He said that if you were driving infront of the car all you see in the rear view was a big eye, and if you were going the other way it would just be a HUGE head.
I'll see if I can dig up a sound bite
Billy Conolly is an absolute menace. I remember this gag and he nearly had me in a state of collapse. I couldn't breath for laughing and nearly ended up being sick. He should carry a goverment health warning.
I got the 'Billy Bites yer bum and Hand Picked by Billy' DVD for Chrimbo.
A show from 1981 and a Show from 1982 back to back.
Never have I laughed so hard for so long.
The one line that I remember from yesterday is, 'wouldn't it be great if when you farted it didn't go <sound of farting> but went 'Fart' in you own voice'
streaky said:
...
An extended examination including fields and night tests should be done but paid for by another body.
...
Well, I can understand the need for a night test, but surely only farmers need field tests?- Streaky
Keep practising, Billy Connelly is already looking scared.
Flat in Fifth said:
Surely the problem is not people's eyesight but the general lack of acceptance that driving is an act not to be undertaken lightly.
Exactly. Hit nail on head. Spot on.
Driving is a skill to be learned, developed, maintained. Being in charge of 1-2 tons of metal is a huge responsibility that requires the correct attitude first and foremost.
>> Edited by Peter Ward on Wednesday 31st December 11:39
voyds9 said:
I'm an Optometrist
The following is the impreesion you get working with Joe Public everday
The public are as tight as a ducks ar$e when paying for medical services.
Most people begrudge buying specatcles
Theres a thread on the NHS already in General Gassing but I'd just like to say
TOO RIGHT! What are my NI contributions for? The welfare state, thats what, and the last time I looked it included health care. Why should I pay twice? Already this tax year I have paid almost £3000 in NI and there's still 4 months to go. And that doesnt include my empoyers contribution either. I'm pi$$ed off and I dont even wear glasses.
Edited to say: I'd class specs as basic health care. Can you no longer get them on the NHS? If they are still available but people want nicer/designer ones, then they should rightly pay for them.
>> Edited by jam1et on Wednesday 31st December 14:04
jam1et said:
I'm an Optometrist
The following is the impreesion you get working with Joe Public everday
The public are as tight as a ducks ar$e when paying for medical services.
Most people begrudge buying specatcles
Theres a thread on the NHS already in General Gassing but I'd just like to say
What are my NI contributions for? The welfare state, thats what, and the last time I looked it included health care. Why should I pay twice? Already this tax year I have paid almost £3000 in NI and there's still 4 months to go. And that doesnt include my empoyers contribution either. I'm pi$$ed off and I dont even wear glasses.
Edited to say: I'd class specs as basic health care. Can you no longer get them on the NHS? If they are still available but people want nicer/designer ones, then they should rightly pay for them.
>> Edited by jam1et on Wednesday 31st December 14:04
IF you are entitled to government assistance (income support/family credit etc) then the government gives a voucher towards the price of the spectacles (usually worth £31.30 for single vision spex). The government expects the optician to provide a range of spectacles for this price. If you come to me privately I charge £45.00 for the same lenses, why should I subside the NHS further, the private and NHS patients recieve the same goods and service at different prices. If the vouchers had risen in line with retail price index then it could have indeed have provided a good pair of spectacles but for the last 15 years the increase in voucher values has lagged behind even inflation.
One last point when NHS eye examinations were removed from the general public I wrote to my MP to voice my objections. If more people had done the same then NHS specatcles may still have been available for all.
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