SMIDSY Explanation

Tony Raven said:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3723080.stm

A third of UK drivers could be breaking the law and putting themselves
and others at risk because of poor eye sight, research finds.
A Royal National Institute for the Blind survey suggests as many as
13m drivers do not have regular eye tests and are unaware of changes
in vision.

Basic eyesight tests on people who did not wear glasses revealed 65%
of those who failed were drivers.

One in three of those who failed said they were not surprised.

Doesn't surprise me either. Wouldn't this be easily solved
by requiring an eye test (optician's certificate) in order
to renew insurance or road tax?

Last time I had one, an eye test was about 14 quid; I'm
sure this could be subsidised or discounted quite heavily.

--
jc

Remove the -not from email

In article <[email hidden]>,

Jeremy Collins said:

Tony Raven said:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3723080.stm

A third of UK drivers could be breaking the law and putting themselves
and others at risk because of poor eye sight, research finds.
A Royal National Institute for the Blind survey suggests as many as
13m drivers do not have regular eye tests and are unaware of changes
in vision.

Basic eyesight tests on people who did not wear glasses revealed 65%
of those who failed were drivers.

One in three of those who failed said they were not surprised.

Doesn't surprise me either. Wouldn't this be easily solved
by requiring an eye test (optician's certificate) in order
to renew insurance or road tax?

Last time I had one, an eye test was about 14 quid; I'm
sure this could be subsidised or discounted quite heavily.

Well, personally I'd like to see a more American system* where you have
to renew your driving license regularly. An eye test could be included
in this.

*Not often I say that.

Ian
--
My email address is invalid to prevent spam.
Real contact details are on my website at http://www.drianwalker.com

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

A third of UK drivers could be breaking the law and putting themselves
and others at risk because of poor eye sight, research finds.
A Royal National Institute for the Blind survey suggests as many as
13m drivers do not have regular eye tests and are unaware of changes
in vision.

Basic eyesight tests on people who did not wear glasses revealed 65%
of those who failed were drivers.

And the remaining 35% were cyclists and/or pedestrians - a possible case of
contributary negligence in any incident involving collisions with cars
driven by drivers with defective vision :-)

And like many of the comments here - Everything I say is fully substantiated
by my own opinion :-)

Vernon in Leeds

Jeremy Collins said:

Tony Raven said:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3723080.stm

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Basic eyesight tests on people who did not wear glasses revealed 65%
of those who failed were drivers.

One in three of those who failed said they were not surprised.

Doesn't surprise me either. Wouldn't this be easily solved
by requiring an eye test (optician's certificate) in order
to renew insurance or road tax?

Last time I had one, an eye test was about 14 quid; I'm
sure this could be subsidised or discounted quite heavily.

Not out of my taxes thank you.

John B

"JohnB" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Last time I had one, an eye test was about 14 quid; I'm
sure this could be subsidised or discounted quite heavily.

Not out of my taxes thank you.

Strange - I always thought you were more left wing than that (or is there a
missing :-)?)

Eye tests used to be free - I thought this was a good thing, in the
interests of preventative medicine.

(mine are :-( )

cheers,
clive

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Last time I had one, an eye test was about 14 quid; I'm
sure this could be subsidised or discounted quite heavily.

ASDA charge a tenner.

Clive George said:

"JohnB" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Last time I had one, an eye test was about 14 quid; I'm
sure this could be subsidised or discounted quite heavily.

Not out of my taxes thank you.

Strange - I always thought you were more left wing than that (or is there a
missing :-)?)

Nothing missing I'm afraid.
I would object to contributing towards eye tests that were specifically
for allowing a person to drive.
I could foresee insurance companies touting "free eye tests for drivers"
then claiming the cost back from the taxpayer should the driver give
them their custom.

Quoted message said:

Eye tests used to be free - I thought this was a good thing, in the
interests of preventative medicine.

Of course.

Quoted message said:

(mine are :-( )

Reminds me I must make an appointment.

John B

Ian Walker said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Jeremy Collins said:

Tony Raven said:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3723080.stm

A third of UK drivers could be breaking the law and putting themselves
and others at risk because of poor eye sight, research finds.
A Royal National Institute for the Blind survey suggests as many as
13m drivers do not have regular eye tests and are unaware of changes
in vision.

Basic eyesight tests on people who did not wear glasses revealed 65%
of those who failed were drivers.

One in three of those who failed said they were not surprised.

Doesn't surprise me either. Wouldn't this be easily solved
by requiring an eye test (optician's certificate) in order
to renew insurance or road tax?

Last time I had one, an eye test was about 14 quid; I'm
sure this could be subsidised or discounted quite heavily.

Well, personally I'd like to see a more American system* where you have
to renew your driving license regularly. An eye test could be included
in this.

*Not often I say that.

Wash your mouth out with soap. You could have said Australian system,
20 years ago it was annual but I think you can now get 5 year licenses
for 150 dollars odd, about 60 quid.

They also apparently have much more draconian penalties for losing it,
if you lose (misplace, not forfiet) your license, you have to do a
written test, and if you fail that you have to do a full driving test
again, so I'm led to believe my my father in outlaw. Having said that,
it wouldn't be the first time he's talked bollox, though ;-)

--
Trevor Barton

"JohnB" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Clive George said:

"JohnB" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> Last time I had one, an eye test was about 14 quid; I'm
> sure this could be subsidised or discounted quite heavily.

Not out of my taxes thank you.

Strange - I always thought you were more left wing than that (or is

there a

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

missing :-)?)

Nothing missing I'm afraid.
I would object to contributing towards eye tests that were specifically
for allowing a person to drive.

Ah, that explains it - I was thinking more of a return to the old free eye
tests for all.

cheers,
clive

In Germany your license states if you have to wear glasses or contacts to
drive. You are also required to carry a spare set of glasses with you. If
you are stopped and not wearing a spex/contacts it is then very easy for the
police to prosecute.

Regards

Paul

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Tony Raven said:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3723080.stm

A third of UK drivers could be breaking the law and putting themselves
and others at risk because of poor eye sight, research finds.
A Royal National Institute for the Blind survey suggests as many as
13m drivers do not have regular eye tests and are unaware of changes
in vision.

Unlikely to be a valid excuse for the chav that nearly got me last
night. I've seen him around in his kevved-up red Astra before
though...one day I'll find it parked <evil grin>

In message <[email hidden]>, vernon levy
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Last time I had one, an eye test was about 14 quid; I'm
sure this could be subsidised or discounted quite heavily.

ASDA charge a tenner.

If you are a member of the Local Co-Op here in Leeds then eye tests are
free (membership costs a minimum of GBP 2)
--
Chris French, Leeds

In message <[email hidden]>, Paul F
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

In Germany your license states if you have to wear glasses or contacts to
drive. You are also required to carry a spare set of glasses with you. If
you are stopped and not wearing a spex/contacts it is then very easy for the
police to prosecute.

But is there any insistence that you have to have an eye test?

ISTM that the problem isn't so much that people who have glasses don't
wear them when driving - I think most people who need to wear them
probably do, and people who have glasses normally get their eyes tested
regularly.

People who don't have glasses are the issue here, as the eyesight can
deteriorate quite a lot without people realising - and even if they do,
there is then the effort to be made to get a test done etc.
--
Chris French, Leeds

Paul F said:

In Germany your license states if you have to wear glasses or contacts to
drive. You are also required to carry a spare set of glasses with you. If
you are stopped and not wearing a spex/contacts it is then very easy for the
police to prosecute.

Is it a voluntary declaration though?

--
jc

Remove the -not from email

"Jeremy Collins" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Paul F said:

In Germany your license states if you have to wear glasses or contacts to
drive. You are also required to carry a spare set of glasses with you.
If you are stopped and not wearing a spex/contacts it is then very easy
for the police to prosecute.

Is it a voluntary declaration though?

--
jc

No it's not voluntary (at least I believe it isn't). You have to have a
valid eye exam certificate to re-new your bi-annual license.

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Ian Walker said:

Well, personally I'd like to see a more American system* where you have
to renew your driving license regularly. An eye test could be included
in this.

*Not often I say that.

Ian

In most US states, renewing one's license consists of paying a nominal fee
to the state Motor Vehicle Department,and getting a new photo taken. I don't
recall my driving skills, knowledge or vision being tested at any time when
I renewed my license. If one's license expires without being renewed, it is
usually necessary to repeat the whole testing process to get a new license.
There is a movement afoot to require very old drivers to at least have their
vision tested in order to retain their licenses.
--
mark

"Paul F" wrote

Quoted message said:

In Germany your license states if you have to wear glasses or contacts to
drive. You are also required to carry a spare set of glasses with you. If
you are stopped and not wearing a spex/contacts it is then very easy for

the

Quoted message said:

police to prosecute.

Regards

Paul

US licenses also state whether one must wear contacts/glasses in order to
drive. Kind of a moot point in my case, I'm not entirely sure I could find
my car w/o my glasses on!
--
mark

"Jeremy Collins" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Paul F said:

In Germany your license states if you have to wear glasses or contacts

to

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

drive. You are also required to carry a spare set of glasses with you.

If

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

you are stopped and not wearing a spex/contacts it is then very easy for

the

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

police to prosecute.

Is it a voluntary declaration though?

--
jc

Remove the -not from email

Now with added reply goodness...

"Nathaniel Porter" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Jeremy Collins" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Paul F said:

In Germany your license states if you have to wear glasses or contacts

to

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

drive. You are also required to carry a spare set of glasses with

you.

Quoted message said:

If

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

you are stopped and not wearing a spex/contacts it is then very easy

for

Quoted message said:

the

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

police to prosecute.

Is it a voluntary declaration though?

On my photocard licence (which I'm 99.9% certain is standardised across the
EU), there is an "Information codes" sections. The code "01", if present,
indicates that the licence holder requires eyesight correction.

IIRC you have to declare if you need eyesight correction on your driving
licence application, and it is also noted on your test pass certificate.