Should Car Drivers Face the Same Vision Requirements As Pros?

Every professional driver with a valid truck licence had to pass a routine eye exam prior to being cleared for driver training. Furthermore, a new eye test is required to renew a commercial driver’s licence every three years. Yet car drivers do not face the same standards. Some are saying it’s time to change that.

Brake, SpecSavers, and the RCA recently got together in a joint effort designed to determine whether the Government should require mandatory eye tests for car drivers or not. Their research revealed that not only is there an inadequate policy in place for ensuring adequate vision among motorists, but also that the vast majority of motorists favour mandatory testing. According to the survey:

• 87% favour testing at least once every 10 years
• 25% have not had testing within the last two years; 12% have not been tested in the last five
• 19% have put off seeing the eye doctor despite noticing vision problems
• 12% who know they need glasses or contacts have driven without them in the past year
• 4% of UK drivers (1.5 million) have never had their eyes tested.

Researchers estimate that there are roughly 2,900 casualties every year as a result of vision related traffic accidents. They believe requiring mandatory eye testing would reduce that number significantly. Brake is calling on the Government to mandate that drivers provide proof of a recent vision test at the time of provisional licence application, and every 10 years following the issuance of a licence.

Brake also encourages individual drivers not to wait on Government action. They suggest regular eye tests for all drivers, at least every two years.

Where professional drivers are concerned, eyesight requirements are much more stringent. The D4 form filled out by a doctor or optician asks for information about corrected and uncorrected vision, binocular acuity, diplopia, contrast sensitivity, intolerance to glare, and any other ophthalmic condition that might impair vision. A driver whose eyesight is not up to standards cannot earn a new licence or renew an existing one.

It’s about Safety

In the end, the idea of requiring car drivers to face the same vision requirements as professionals is all about safety. Yes, driving HGVs is more difficult than operating passenger cars, but poor eyesight is a dangerous condition with any vehicle. Any vision problem that would make it dangerous to drive a large commercial vehicle would also make operating a passenger car dangerous as well.

If you would like more information about commercial driver training, feel free to contact us at the HGV Training Centre. We can provide the instruction you need to earn your truck licence, including time in the classroom and behind the wheel.

The HGV Training Centre specialises in commercial driver training for all licence classes. We also offer fleet training for motoring companies of all sizes. We welcome the opportunity to train you or your company drivers at one of more than 53 locations around the UK.

Sources:

Fleet News – https://www.fleetnews.co.uk/news/2014/8/21/calls-for-government-to-make-regular-driver-eyesight-tests-compulsory/53333/