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APPG meets to discuss vision and driving issues
APPG meets to discuss vision & driving issues
18 June 2003
MPs and Peers attended a meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Eye Health and Visual Impairment on Tuesday 17 June at the House of Commons. Attendees at the meeting discussed the impact of visual impairment on driving and means for ensuring the safety of drivers, passengers and the public.
In particular, speakers discussed whether sufficient evidence exists that shows that poor vision affects driving or causes accidents. Most driving decisions are based on what a driver sees, although not everyone with a sight problem will necessarily have to give up driving.
Speakers at the meeting included Mr Simon Keightley, Consultant Ophthalmologist and former Chair of the Department of Transport Medical Advisory Panel, Dr Christine Dickinson, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Optometry and Neuroscience, UMIST and Professor Gary S. Rubin, Helen Keller Professor of Visual Rehabilitation at the Institute of Ophthalmology.
Mr Keightley believes the current number plate test is accurate and easy to apply and that there is no specific evidence that shows that visual acuity alone is responsible for unsafe driving. Dr Dickinson went on to discuss UK regulations on driving and described the Useful Field of View Test developed by American psychologists and ophthalmologists, which is a test more specific to the act of driving. Although, she did point to the fact that there is little evidence that drivers check their vision regularly. Professor Rubin's presentation covered driving standards in the United States. All states require tests for new drivers, yet there are variations in vision standards. He believes many states with visual field tests implement them poorly. Professor Rubin explained the benefits of compulsory vision re-screening and said, "On the road evaluation is one of the best tests to see whether or not someone is safe to drive".
The All Party Parliamentary Group on Eye Health and Visual Impairment held its inaugural meeting in January 2002. The remit of the Group is: To inform and educate parliamentarians about eye disease, the problems associated with poor vision and the importance of proper eye-care screening; and to promote the benefits of the Nation of delivering primary eye healthcare in the community.
The date of the next meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Eye Health and Visual Impairment will be Tuesday 28 October 2003, and the subject of the meeting will be employment.