If Europe is to halve road deaths, it needs to test drivers’ eyesight more.
The European optical bodies welcome the European Commission’s target to halve the number of road deaths across Europe (“Time to end scandal on the roads,” 22-28 July).
We are concerned, however, that insufficient attention is currently being given to vision screening for Group 1 drivers (principally drivers of cars and motorcycles). This is a crucial loophole in the Commission’s plans, since there is evidence that poor vision impairs driving and since 90% of sensory input to the brain when driving is commonly thought to come from vision.
The EU Driving Licence Directive specifies a minimum visual standard for all drivers to meet. However, the method of assessing what it refers to as “visual acuity (distance vision)” is not specified. In order to meet this requirement, several member states rely on the applicant being able to read a licence plate at 20 metres.
This test is neither scientifically based, nor standardised nor validated and nor are the results consistent with established methods to assess visual acuity.
For Group 1 drivers, this assessment is not repeated at any point in their driving career, with the exception of Finland (at the age of 45 and 70). Rather, the onus is on drivers to understand the technical visual standards, to self-assess against these and to recognise when they do not meet them.
Vision changes with age. Drivers may not notice a gradual change in their vision and may therefore be unaware that they no longer meet the standard. In addition, many drivers delay addressing changes in their vision when they become aware of them.
The European optical bodies are calling for appropriate driver vision screening, of visual acuity and visual fields (peripheral vision), in advance of issuing a first provisional licence and on renewal of licences for Group 1 drivers. The Commission and member states should recognise that the licence plate test and reliance on self-reporting falls short of the visual requirements under the directives. Improving vision screening would be an effective method to improve safety on Europe’s roads.
From:
Richard Carswell
ECOO (European Council of Optometry and Optics)
London
Wolfgang Cagnolat
ECOO
Duisberg
Bertrand de Limé
EUROM1
Paris
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Charles Snelling
EUROMContact
Geneva