Introducing mandatory eyesight testing for older drivers

AOP response: The driver (selected from a multiple choice answer)

AOP response: Agree (selected from a multiple choice answer)

Why?

To enable drivers to remain safe on the roads for as long as possible, we believe that the statutory sight test should be an essential part of the process. The sight test is a regulated function delivered by registered optometrists, predominantly via accessible community optometry practices across the UK.

Mandating that all drivers at the point of licence renewal have evidence of a valid sight test would ensure that drivers can prove they meet the legal vision standard. It would also reach people who do not currently attend regular eye examinations, some of whom will be unaware that their vision has deteriorated. This step would help to improve the eye health of drivers.

We recognise that mandatory eyesight testing would be a significant change for drivers, and that for many older drivers in particular the prospect of having regular formal vision assessments to enable licence renewal will raise real concerns about independence, mobility and social connection. Driving is, for many, the difference between an active life and isolation. Any new system must therefore be designed not only to be clinically robust but also to be experienced as supportive rather than punitive. Community optometry is well placed to deliver this. It is a familiar setting, with established trust, where vision concerns can be discussed openly, treatable causes of reduced vision can be addressed (for example, with updated spectacles or cataract referral), and drivers can leave the appointment with clear, individualised advice. We would urge DfT to work with the eye care sector and patient and driver representatives to ensure that the design, communication and rollout of any new system actively supports drivers through this change, with clear public information about what to expect and what options are available where vision falls short of the standard.

Placing a full sight test as an essential part of the licence renewal process provides an objective, standardised measurement of visual acuity and determines whether an optical appliance (for example, glasses or contact lenses) is required to improve vision. Many drivers may technically meet the minimum standard defined in law but still have uncorrected or under corrected refractive error. Providing appropriate correction allows them to read road signs earlier and more easily, improves contrast and clarity, and reduces visual strain, directly supporting safer driving performance.  It may also enhance the speed of object recognition and improve how quickly someone is able to react.

Please refer to our FAQs for further information.

AOP response: Disagree

Why?

Sight deterioration can occur at any age, with many individuals not noticing an early visual change. Therefore, the requirement to submit formal evidence of a valid sight test should be extended to the application stage and every renewal thereafter for all drivers: every 10 years for most and then every three years from the age of 70.

Irrespective of this consultation, regular sight tests are critical for identifying changes in vision and eye conditions that can impact sight, therefore reducing the current and future risk of driving accidents. Vision can change at any age, and many conditions that affect driving develop gradually and may lack early symptoms. A policy of mandatory eyesight tests limited only to older drivers therefore fails to address a known weakness in the system: that large numbers of drivers aged under 70 have undetected or uncorrected visual impairment. This argument was stated very clearly in the report, Prevention of Future Deaths, by the Senior Coroner for Lancashire, Dr James Adeley¹, into four pedestrians who were killed in three road traffic collisions where the drivers’ poor eyesight was a significant contributor.

Recognising that vision can change at any age, we advocate for a pragmatic solution whereby all drivers should be required to demonstrate that they have a valid sight test at the point they apply for their licence and at every renewal. This policy would offer a significant improvement on the current system, which is entirely dependent on (a) self-declaration of meeting the vision standards for driving, even where the driver may not have had a recent sight test or recognise that they have vision problems and (b) over-reliance on the number plate test, which is not an adequate assessment of vision.

Requiring formal evidence of a valid sight test conducted by a regulated eye care professional would bring the UK into line with practice in many European countries and ensure that vision is assessed objectively, consistently and in standardised conditions. It would also deliver a wider public health benefit by enabling early detection and management of potentially sight-threatening conditions, such as glaucoma or macular pathology, which may otherwise remain asymptomatic until vision loss is noticed.

We believe that extending the requirement to all drivers is beneficial for the following reasons:

• Early detection of eye disease means drivers can access treatment (if appropriate) and avoidable sight loss is prevented
• Where significant refractive error is detected, visual correction via an optical appliance can be provided to improve visual acuity
• Early treatment of eye conditions and intervention with visual correction can enable and provide drivers with reassurance they meet the visual standards and can continue to drive.

This approach is more equitable than an age-based threshold, more defensible than reliance on self-reporting, and more effective at addressing the root cause identified by the Senior Coroner for Lancashire, Dr James Adeley: that the system, not simply the individual, is failing to ensure that drivers’ vision meets the legal standard.

If the policy objective is to reduce preventable harm from poor eyesight, then a universal requirement at licence renewal is the most coherent and proportionate response.

Please refer to our FAQs for further information.

Reference

www.judiciary.uk/prevention-of-future-death-reports/ida-lock-prevention-of-future-deaths-report

AOP response:

Another time period amount: As determined by appropriately trained clinicians, in this context optometrists.

We believe that there is a risk of confusion around terminology within this question and it would be easy to inappropriately conflate how often someone should be able to demonstrate vision that is suitable for driving and how often they should undergo a sight test or eye examination.

All adults should have their sight tested at least every two years, or more often if their optometrist recommends this to ensure any changes to vision or eye health are detected and treated early. Regular sight tests are particularly important for drivers, to ensure they meet the vision requirements for safe driving.

This is where we think there could be confusion. We support the existing licence renewal time periods. We also believe that sight tests and eye examination intervals should be determined based upon risk factors that are individual to each patient. These sight test intervals are clinically and operationally justified and should be retained. That is why we say at the point of licence renewal the person should be required to evidence a valid sight test. By doing so, those drivers who are more at risk of changes to vision or eye health will be seen more often by their optometrist and have shorter validity periods for their sight test.  However, they will still only be required to prove they have a valid sight test at licence renewal.

Requiring evidence of a valid sight test at the point of licence renewal would avoid the need for parallel systems or new administrative structures. This approach addresses the fundamental weakness of the current framework, which is its reliance on self-declaration and an inadequate number plate test, by introducing formal verification of vision, while keeping the frequency of sight testing proportionate and individualised.

Maintaining the current sight test and licence renewal cycles also supports public understanding, compliance and fairness. This avoids complex age-specific rules and ensures that policy changes focus on improving safety. This also provides the most coherent and deliverable way to strengthen vision standards for driving and to aid the detection of eye disease that may create risk to the driver or the wider public. 

Please refer to our FAQs for further information.

AOP response: No (selected from a multiple choice answer)

AOP response:

We selected the following from a multiple-choice answer:

• Visual acuity (a measure of the eyes’ ability to see sharpness of vision. This is usually measured by reading letters on a chart from a set distance, with glasses or contacts if needed)  
• Visual field (this is measured using machinery which tests your central and side vision and identifies if you have vision problems) 
• Identification of a visual condition 
• Confirmation that drivers meet the legal eyesight standards for driving
• Another test: Visual field testing – driven by clinical need and with decision making by a regulated professional on a risk stratified basis. 

Please refer to our FAQs for further information.

AOP response: Qualified eye healthcare professional

AOP response: Driver (licence holder)

Please refer to our FAQs for further information.

AOP response: 

• Driver (licence holder)
• Eye health professional
• Other healthcare professional.

Please refer to our FAQs for further information.

The current laws around how the vision standards for driving are implemented do not do enough to protect the public. The Association of Optometrists and The College of Optometrists have called for a change to the law to help make sure our roads are as safe as possible for all. Both organisations have run public awareness campaigns to remind all drivers to have regular sight tests and have conducted consumer and academic research on the topic. In the absence of a mechanism to provide mandatory proof of valid sight tests, this is currently the only available approach to encourage drivers to be aware of their eye health and to make sure that their visual acuity meets the legal standard and is road safe.

The inquest brought by the Senior Coroner for Lancashire, Dr James Adeley, into four pedestrians who were killed in three road traffic collisions where the drivers’ poor eyesight was a significant contributor, demonstrated that it is time to act. Dr Adeley’s subsequent Prevention of Future Deaths report, alongside road safety data and published evidence, shows the current self-declaration system to be failing. Implementing a fair system where all drivers are required to formally submit evidence of a valid sight test, sitting within the current renewal framework, would be a small change to existing legislation but would have a considerable impact to make our roads safer for all.

For such a system to succeed, clear and proportionate mechanisms must be put in place. A standardised certification process, delivered through regulated eye care professionals such as optometrists, would enable drivers to demonstrate compliance with the vision requirements at appropriate intervals. This process should be accessible, sustainable, and should not create undue barriers for drivers. In this way, integration with the existing licence renewal frameworks and sight testing provision would be the most pragmatic approach, minimising the administrative burden for both drivers and the DVLA, while ensuring consistency.

Optometry is well placed to deliver this reform. Optical practices are accessible on every High Street and embedded within communities, even in the most rural communities. Their optometrists have the clinical expertise and equipment required to assess visual acuity and visual fields, and detect notifiable eye conditions. It is worth noting that in our view, to avoid avoidable false positive results the mechanism of visual field testing should be directed by a regulated professional, based upon the driver and risk factors, this is why we have also marked other in response to question 19.

In addition to clinical expertise, optometrists are able to explain, counsel and provide solutions for those who may not currently meet the driving vision standards. Their dispensing optician colleagues are well positioned to advise drivers on the optical appliance needed to meet the required visual standard.

Throughout the design and implementation of this reform, the experience of drivers themselves, and particularly older drivers, must remain central. For many people, driving is closely tied to independence, employment, caring responsibilities and social connection. The introduction of mandatory testing should be communicated and delivered in a way that recognises this, with clear information for the public, sufficient lead time before changes take effect, and consistent messaging that sight testing is a routine and supportive part of safe driving rather than a barrier to be feared. Where a driver does not meet the required standard, the system should ensure they receive clinical support to address treatable causes of reduced vision, clear advice on next steps, and signposting to alternative transport options where licence restriction or removal is clinically necessary.

We completed a sector engagement exercise with representatives from all four UK nations who confirmed there was sufficient workforce and capacity. Carefully planned implementation would help manage access and capacity, particularly in remote and rural parts of the UK.  However, it should be noted that even if drivers submit the evidence of a valid sight test, there will be a need for optometrists to ensure vital information is accurately recorded and that ID is checked to ensure a robust system. Any additional costs to cover the administration of this must be funded by the driver, as must the cost of any additional tests that are required beyond those required by regulations pertaining to a sight test.

We would welcome the opportunity to meet with the Minister or DfT officials, alongside other key stakeholders, to discuss how any new system could be designed to maximise benefits and minimise the risks we have outlined. We are confident that primary eye care has the infrastructure and capacity to deliver timely, accessible sight tests for all drivers. Working collaboratively with the DfT and DVLA, we can develop a system that protects road safety, avoids unnecessary costs and administrative burden, and ensures drivers receive appropriate clinical care. We look forward to contributing to this important discussion.
Taken together, these reforms represent a proportionate, evidence-based response that would save lives, ensure the current standards are implemented, and improve eye health outcomes, with the early detection of sight-threatening disease.