There is no system in place to check that people that are driving have good eye sights.

I believe it is unlawful to drive if you cannot see a number plate from a certain distant but nothing is in place to enforce it.

Does anything need to be done about it?

What can be done?

How can it work?

When did you last have your eye tested?

Originally posted by John
There is no system in place to check that people that are driving have good eye sights.



I believe it is unlawful to drive if you cannot see a number plate from a certain distant but nothing is in place to enforce it.

Does anything need to be done about it?

What can be done?

How can it work?

When did you last have your eye tested?

Eye tests are carried out before a driving test.

one way would be to make a driving licence valid for 5 years after which retests could be carried out and the revenue brought in by this could go to teaching more driving testers.

fgs.....dont give this idea to the government!!!!!

Originally posted by John
When did you last have your eye tested?

I had my left eye tested a couple of years ago and the right done a year before that. My right eye is a little more lazy and needs a head start. :D

it's simple, if you can't see properly, you can't drive safely. All drivers should have eye tests frequently. I'm not sure how it would be enforced, but poor eyesight is just as dangerous as old people driving with slow reactions, which is just as bad as people driving after several pints.

Yep - it should be compulsory!

Originally posted by DerekH
Eye tests are carried out before a driving test.

one way would be to make a driving licence valid for 5 years after which retests could be carried out and the revenue brought in by this could go to teaching more driving testers.

fgs.....dont give this idea to the government!!!!!

An excellent idea!! All new photocard driving licences are valid for 10 years before they have to be renewed. This would provide the perfect opportunity to test eyesight.

Don't get me re-started on my hobby horse of a full driving re-test at the same time.

I have a friend, a very nice girl who only has ONE functioning eye. She holds a full UK driving licence and passed her test the first time which included reading a number plate at the required distance. However with only one eye she cannot judgedistance or gaps, she's had no accidents and is a good driver.
Surely though there is a blind spot in our driving laws here.

Wallbuilder, I thought driving was illegal if you only had the sight in one eye:confused:

That's the strange thing as long as you can read a number plate at the required distance you can drive, assuming of course you pass all the other bits on your test.
If the laws have changed they haven't bothered to mention it to not only my friend but also another two guys I know who have each got a glass eye and are still drivers.
I don't think they even have to declare it when applying for insurance, oh and I've just remembered my brother who went blind in one eye was still driving for years .
If anyone knows better I'd be interested to hear about it.

Originally posted by WALLBUILDER
Surely though there is a blind spot in our driving laws here.

Boom Boom!!!

Originally posted by draggletail
Wallbuilder, I thought driving was illegal if you only had the sight in one eye:confused:

It has never been illegal to drive with one eye or bad eyesight as long as it is stated on the licence that glasses are required to be worn whilst driving.

I have personally found that people with bad eyesight or the ones with one eye drive more cautiously that those with two eyes and 20-20 vision.

Making it compulsory to have an eye test every 5 years would be a good idea but taking into cosideration that most accidents are caused through people not looking where they are going or what they are doing whilst drinking their coffee and talking to their mates on the mobile phone I think that having eye tests are the least of our worries.

I was behind a woman the other day on the motorway.
She doing 70 miles an hour whilst putting on makeup......I was so gobsmacked that I ended up spilling some of my hot coffee into my lap, this caused me to drop my steak and kidney pie and subsequently I had to throw my phone on the floor where my dog was laying thus losing a very important contract.

Women drivers........Jeeeeesh

I have an eye condition which means my sight will gradually get worse. I have a 3 year driving licence which is renewed if i pass a sight test. This is only relating to field of vision though not general eyesight.
I'm pretty sure that any level of eyesight is legal as long as you wear glasses/contacts. If my condition only affected one eye i wouldn't need re-testing, they are only bothered if your visual field in both eyes is affected.
Anyone with any sight problem (other than just needing glasses) should inform the DVLA (pretty sure its a legal requirement). If you had an accident and hadn't informed them I think you'd be in trouble.
End of lecture :)

Originally posted by DerekH
I was behind a woman the other day on the motorway.
She doing 70 miles an hour whilst putting on makeup......I was so gobsmacked that I ended up spilling some of my hot coffee into my lap, this caused me to drop my steak and kidney pie and subsequently I had to throw my phone on the floor where my dog was laying thus losing a very important contract.

Women drivers........Jeeeeesh

Boom Boom! Nice one!

I also have an eye condition whereby I have my eyes checked at the hospital every 6 months. You have to have a field vision of I think 120 degrees, so a one eyed person would manage this ok. It is a legal requirement that you inform the DVLA of any problems and they decide if a licence is to be rescinded. Failure to do so would invalidate your licence and also your insurance.

it's interesting that they allow one eyed people to drive. You loose your depth of field with only 1 eye, which is one of the biggest clues your brain has to determine relative distance.
Try covering 1 eye and walking around the house for a while, and picking a few things up (for people with 2), it's suprising how much you loose without binocular vision.

Posted 15 February 2005 on SYP - probably meaning this week!

Motorists visiting Asda stores in Sheffield and Rotherham will be asked to read a car number plate at the legally required distance of 20.5 metres.

Anyone failing the test will be 'yellow carded' and invited to visit the on-site optician. An expert from the eye unit at Sheffield's Royal Hallamshire Hospital will also be on hand to give advice about different eye conditions.

more information from... http://www.southyorks.police.uk/news/details.php?id=819