“Your vision has consequences for others”

As optometrists, we have such an important role to play in the day-to-day advice we give people around their need for spectacles and vision correction when they’re driving.

I’ve always been conscious of the challenges of the number plate test – it is not the same and does not reflect what we may understand about someone’s vision using the visual acuity chart. We also know that the Esterman visual field test for driving is not necessarily representative of the way we use our visual fields for driving.

The Department of Transport likes the idea that it’s easily translatable to the public so they can understand that this is the distance they need to read. But the challenge of course is how it’s interpreted.

Through my work in Europe and beyond, I became increasingly aware of the breadth of variation in the visual standards for driving. For example, in the EU, on the face of it there is a uniform standard, but of course the way it is implemented can be very variable. Living in Northern Ireland as well, I have from time-to-time seen patients from the Republic of Ireland, who present for an eye test which they must have before applying for their driving licence.

My main concern with the way in which vision is assessed (or not) for driving in the UK has always been that the only time a person is ever assessed is at the time of the driving test, which for many people will be when they’re 17 or 18 years of age. It has always seemed bizarre to me that on licence renewal thereafter, drivers are not assessed again. Instead, they are simply asked whether they still meet the standard, and there’s a tick box that follows saying yes, and off they go.

Campaigning for change

The AOP’s Don’t swerve a sight test has been a really important campaign to run. The longevity of the campaign is testament to our commitment to trying to improve the clarity and robustness of vision standards for driving in the UK.

Establishing the campaign, and calling for change, allowed us to talk about what we felt the standard in the UK should be and what our ask was. Over the years, our recommendations have never been radical – we’re not saying that every driver needs to come in for an eye test every two years and show evidence of that – we have always said that, on licence renewal, every driver should have an eye test, and that should really happen for over 70s, but ideally it should happen in earlier decades as well.

“The visual standard is not too high of a barrier. It’s not about having perfect vision, it’s about having good enough vision to meet the standard – and optometrists can support patients in maintaining their vision to make sure those standards can be met, and they can continue to drive safely”

With campaigns such as this, you don’t know that these things have cut-through until eventually something starts to change. So I was thrilled to hear the news in August that there are plans to introduce mandatory sight tests for drivers over the age of 70 at licence renewal within a new road safety strategy, which is expected to be released in the autumn.

Of all our asks, this is a really important one. With the ageing eye there is an increased risk of ocular disease, and a lot of these diseases are painless and asymptomatic in the early stages, so people are not necessarily the best judges of their vision and will not notice a gradual loss in vision. Having this safety net for people to be compelled to come in for an eye check at that point in time is perfectly reasonable, and we might find other ocular diseases in the course of doing that, particularly in those who were not necessarily accessing eye care. While for some older people this change may feel negative or unhelpful, I would emphasise that its introduction is about optometrists being able to support and facilitate them driving safely for as long as possible.

The visual standard is not too high of a barrier. It’s not about having perfect vision, it’s about having good enough vision to meet the standard – and optometrists can support patients in maintaining their vision to make sure those standards are met, and they can continue to drive safely.

I hope that this pending change raises the public’s awareness of the importance of vision and driving