UK rules around driving licences for elderly drivers have been slammed by a top safety expert with vision problems a major worry.
Older drivers don’t need to attend an eyetest to stay on the roads (Image: Getty)
Older driving licence renewal rules are “inadequate” with road users at risk of suffering from vision problems, according to a leading road safety campaigner. James Luckhurst, head of road safety at GEM Motoring Assist stressed officials “wrongly rely” on self-certification with drivers not undergoing any legal checks to stay on the road.
Rules state road users must renew their driving licence at the age of 70 and every three years after this. However, it is down to the road users to declare any medical conditions and confirm their eyesight is still fine to stay on the roads. It means road users cautious not to lose their freedom to drive could say they are fit and healthy even if they are suffering from a serious condition.
Drivers only need to self-certify to keep hold of their licence (Image: Getty)
However, with eyesight gradually deteriorating later in life, it’s possible many individuals are not aware of just how much of a threat they could be behind the wheel.
James said: “From the age of 70, drivers must renew their licences every three years. But the process wrongly relies on self-certification of fitness to drive, despite incontrovertible evidence that age-related vision decline leads to growing risks.
“The need for fundamental reform is once again in the headlines, this time because of coroner findings that label current visual standards as ‘ineffective and unsafe’.
“There are no mandatory medical or vision checks during a licence renewal. Drivers simply declare every three years that they meet the minimum eyesight requirement, which is to read a number plate at a distance of 20 metres.
“GEM’s position, in line with other road safety organisations, is that this is inadequate. After all, older motorists are self-certifying, despite being at increasing risk from conditions such as cataracts, glaucoma and macular degeneration.”
It comes after a senior coroner looking into the deaths of four pedestrians caused by an older driver also questioned the UK system.
Dr James Adeley, Senior Coroner for Lancashire, stressed visual standards for road users were “ineffective and unsafe” with UK licensing rules perhaps the “laxest in Europe”.
Rob Heard, founder of the Older Drivers Forum has also admitted the current self-verification rules were a concern.
He said: “The only legal time we have our eyesight actually checked is when we do our driving test and an examiner says ‘ can you read that number plate at 20m’,
After that, it’s completely self-verification, even at licence renewal at 70 and that system is just one of the worst in Europe.”
