AOP campaign encourages drivers to get their vision checked

New survey data from the AOP has found that six in 10 optometrists have seen a patient in the past month who continues to drive despite their vision being below the legal standard.

The research was carried out to support the membership organisation’s ongoing Don’t swerve a sight test campaign, which highlights the importance of good vision for driving and promotes the value of regular sight tests.

This year’s iteration of the campaign has received coverage from a range of regional and national media channels, including BBC One, BBC Radio Scotland, the Daily Telegraph andthe Evening Standard podcast.

The survey of more than 2000 UK adults carried out in October this year found that 29% would continue to drive despite knowing their vision is below the legal standard, while 26% of survey respondents say they are concerned about someone they know driving despite poor vision.

Around one in three people (31%) report having had a near miss with a member of the public who they believed had vision below the legal standard.

The AOP is calling for drivers to be required by law to have their vision checked when they first apply for a licence, and also at licence renewal. This occurs every 10 years for most people, and every three years for those aged 70 and over.

To support its campaign, the AOP has publicised findings from its Voice of Optometry poll of 910 UK optometrists.

The survey found that 56% of survey respondents had a patient who continued to drive regardless of their poor vision – a sharp increase from 40% in 2019.

Among the optometrists surveyed, 32% reported that the number of patients they were advising not to drive due to poor vision had increased in the past three years.

A Freedom of Information request to the DVLA in July 2023 showed that almost 50,000 people had contacted the agency over a person’s fitness to drive – up 82% from 2021.

AOP chief executive Adam Sampson described the survey results as a “stark reminder” of why UK roads are not as safe as they should be.

“Many eye care professionals on the High Street have a patient, or multiple patients, who are driving with vision that is proven to be, via a medical check, below the minimum standard required for driving,” he said.

“In the UK, the number plate test is not an adequate test of vision. It is carried out only once with a driving instructor, not a trained eye health professional. A driver’s vision can then remain unchecked for the rest of their life. This approach is flawed and is out of step with many other countries who use a full sight test as the means to accurately ensure motorists have satisfactory vision to drive safely,” Sampson emphasised.

Professor Julie-Anne Little, past chairman of the AOP and research optometrist, highlighted that changes in vision can be gradual, which means many drivers are unaware that their vision has deteriorated over time.

“It is a difficult conversation, but one that is absolutely necessary – preventing them from putting themselves and others at risk. Which is why we’re urging friends and family to take the time to consider what they want to say, approach it with respect but to tackle the conversation if they have concerns over a relative or someone they know who is driving with poor vision,” she said.

A range of assets for optometry practices are available on the Don’t swerve a sight test campaign website, including social media images and infographics and a downloadable vision and driving standards information leaflet.