Stricter eye tests drivers > 70

[cycle tramp]

LEFT lane is LEFT turn only, god help pedestrians, cyclists etc

Um...a little off topic, but generally speaking the left hand lane is for left and straight on, with the right hand lane being used for right turns - where it gets complicated is when road directions (arrows painted on the road and or signage) announce otherwise, and may not have been positioned far enough back for road users to take the appropriate lane.

[Paulatic]

How many people, who drive, do you know who doesn’t get a regular eye test?

My answer is nobody but maybe some of you do.

[ANTONISH]

I thought this was about eye sight.

FWIW, I do not think my style and standard of driving have changed much, if at all, over the sixty years since I passed my car test. I think others' perceptions of my driving have changed, accorting to the vehicle I've been driving.

I believe that even when I feel the need to get a move on, I'm slow compared with many drivers. If I'm driving and almost invariably observing the two second rule, if somebody - all too often a "professional" driver - overtakes into that space, I may be annoyed but I drop back to keep a decent gap. And again if another "professional" or several see my decent gap as evidence of doddering I drop back again. My last car was an Audi Q5 Quattro (known to Mrs TC as the white elephant.) it seemed to attract aggression from others. We now have a Skoda Fabia and I'm a doddery old prat although my driving is unchanged..

If we are campaigning for safety checks on drivers, then I'll say from first-hand experience, there are things affecting the driving of people in all age groups which would merit a lot more attention than eyesight tests for the over 70s.

That pretty well sums up my attitude. When I was learning to drive I read a book by an ex police driver.
There were a lot of the things you have written (two second rule etc) - I'm probably what one would call a slow driver in fact my father would joke about it - he gave up driving after a minor "shunt" which I think was due to his impatience.
Of course one has to make "good progress" as required in the driving test.
My elder son is a very capable driver and used to criticise my slow driving until on one occasion we were both driving from west London down to Kent. We left at the same time and he was surprised that I arrived only five minutes behind him - which illustrates the fact that it is very difficult to drive much faster than the average speed of the traffic.

[cycle tramp]

How many people, who drive, do you know who doesn’t get a regular eye test?

My answer is nobody but maybe some of you do.

Both myself and my partner drive and we both get regular eye tests. However, I do take your point that there are people driving out there who have never have taken an eyesight test and should - if only to pick up on any early signs of health issues before these issues get worse. Which is why several pages ago, I suggested that to renew your driving licence recent results of an eye test should also be submitted....
..if you think that's bad, in order to qualify as a taxi driver, you actually have to under go a full physical examination by your doctor. An eye test seems pretty light in the face of that demand.

[Paulatic]

How many people, who drive, do you know who doesn’t get a regular eye test?

My answer is nobody but maybe some of you do.

Both myself and my partner drive and we both get regular eye tests. However, I do take your point that there are people driving out there who have never have taken an eyesight test and should - if only to pick up on any early signs of health issues before these issues get worse. Which is why several pages ago, I suggested that to renew your driving licence recent results of an eye test should also be submitted....
..if you think that's bad, in order to qualify as a taxi driver, you actually have to under go a full physical examination by your doctor. An eye test seems pretty light in the face of that demand.

I think you might have misunderstood me.

The Q How many people, who drive, do you know who doesn’t get a regular eye test?

My A Nobody

Producing evidence of an eye test won’t/ isn’t a problem. Convincing someone to stop driving is the hard bit which I’ve witnessed needing severe words from family. Giving up that freedom of movement, especially in public transport free areas, must be a hard pill to swallow.

[Jdsk]

...
Producing evidence of an eye test won’t/ isn’t a problem. Convincing someone to stop driving is the hard bit which I’ve witnessed needing severe words from family. Giving up that freedom of movement, especially in public transport free areas, must be a hard pill to swallow.

Yes. It is often hard to convince people, and with good reasons, as you say.

Driving instructors are very familiar with this, and I have seen the desired result from asking them to assess the driver's performance rather than keeping it in the family. Sometimes this has the desired effect even without the assessment...

And, as upthread, improving other means of transport should be part of any intervention.

Jonathan

[Nearholmer]

How many people, who drive, do you know who doesn’t get a regular eye test?

All the younger people I know who don’t have any cause to wear glasses, except those who have to take eye tests as part of their work (being a “railway person”, many I know do).

Many of the older people I know do wear glasses for one reason or another, many just for “close work”, so do get tested regularly, but there are a few who I wonder about, people who don’t wear prescription specs, but do use those “off the shelf” reading glasses.

As with anything in life, the great majority of people will be sensible and diligent, a few clueless or cavalier, and then there will be a tinier irresponsible few, who know blooming well they would fail, so don’t get tested. The 70yo test is presumably proposed to identify the cavalier, clueless, and reckless.

[thirdcrank]

I don't think there is a specific test for drivers over 70. AIUI, all drivers' eyesight - corrected with specs etc if necessary - must meet the standard appropriate for the class of vehicle permitted by their licence, irrepective of age.

AIUI, a driving licence must be renewed at age 70 and then every three years when the applicant declares that they meet the relevant standards including eyesight

[Nearholmer]

Not now, no, but this thread was sparked by the suggestion that there should be - my phrasing was bad, and I’ve changed it.

[thirdcrank]

The implication that higher standards of eyeseight beyond age seventy are a proxy for measuring deterioration of other apects of health seems illogical.

[Jdsk]

The implication that higher standards of eyeseight beyond age seventy are a proxy for measuring deterioration of other apects of health seems illogical.

Who implied that?

Thanks

Jonathan

[Nearholmer]

But that isn’t the proposition.

The basic proposition is that pre-existing eyesight standards should be enforced by regular testing after 70yo.

But, right back at the start of the thread, I suggested that eyesight is only part of the equation, with cognition being another, for which I suggested simulator testing. Others have also suggested what might be called “attitudinal” criteria.

[thirdcrank]

The implication that higher standards of eyeseight beyond age seventy are a proxy for measuring deterioration of other apects of health seems illogical.

Who implied that?

Thanks

Jonathan

A large part of the thread seems to be based on the implications that (a) licence renewals at age 70 are subject to an eyesight test and (b) it should be stricter.

[Jdsk]

The implication that higher standards of eyeseight beyond age seventy are a proxy for measuring deterioration of other apects of health seems illogical.

Who implied that?

A large part of the thread seems to be based on the implications that (a) licence renewals at age 70 are subject to an eyesight test and (b) it should be stricter.

Thanks. But I think that that's rather different from the suggested implication.

Jonathan

[thirdcrank]

The thread title refers to "stricter eye tests drivers>70"

The use of the comparative from the start seems a reasonable basis for what I posted. To spell it out, a call for stricter tests suggests there are already tests which should be "stricter."