Blind to the Dangers

One in four drivers failed eyesight test at Motor Show

By PH Staff / Wednesday, 20 November 2002 / Loading comments

A quarter of all drivers could be driving unsafely due to poor eyesight, the RAC Foundation warned today.

The results of a new survey conducted by one of the country's leading opticians into the vision capabilities of motorists showed that an alarming number of motorists could be driving around dangerously as they failed a basic sight test.

The survey has prompted the RAC Foundation to write to Department for Transport to encourage the Government to initiate a high profile publicity campaign on the dangers of driving with poor eyesight.

Specsavers Opticians, one of the biggest optical retailers in the UK, conducted 3,000 eye tests at the International Motor Show at the NEC in Birmingham. A staggering 700 of the drivers failed a basic vision test which was offered free of charge as part of the opticians campaign to educate motorists regarding the dangers of driving with poor eyesight.

Few motorists are aware that it is an offence to drive with uncorrected vision and the penalty for failing to declare a medical condition which may render them unfit to drive can be as much as £1,000.

Potential eyesight problems include:

Blurred vision - around 60 per cent of drivers in the UK are long sighted while 30 per cent are short sighted. Both conditions can deteriorate, or indeed occur, at any time of life and both can lead to problems in safe driving.
Peripheral vision - around half the states in the USA test drivers for peripheral vision. Research evidence linking poor peripheral vision to accidents there is strong and it plays a vital role in hazard perception and awareness. Opticians have specific tests designed to detect any problems.
Patchy vision - the most common cause of visual impairment among adults of working age, it can be caused by diabetic retinopathy. Patches of vision are lost where the retina is damaged.
Tunnel vision - usually affects people in middle or old age. The most common form is glaucoma which can be detected at an early stage if the individual is having regular eyesight checks. Careful treatment can halt or delay its progression. Indeed, regular eye checks can show up a number of other long term health problems unrelated to vision.
Night vision - many drivers who experience no problems in daylight conditions have great difficulty in driving at night and find the dazzle of oncoming vehicles blinding.

Research such as this certainly adds weight to the argument that drivers' fitness to drive should be reassessed periodically.