§ Mr. David NicholsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport to what extent random tests to determine whether drivers' eyesight is defective are carried out in England and Wales; with what results; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Peter BottomleyLast month I placed in the Library two transport and road research laboratory reports on eyesight standards for driving—"A Re-analysis of Californian Driver Vision Data" and "A Survey of Visual Acuity of Drivers"—together with a paper entitled "Vision and Driving" prepared by the Department's medical adviser. These documents show clearly that defective eyesight is not a problem in the general driving population as a whole.
We are not aware of any random testing of driver eyesight standards. We know that some police forces carry out occasional surveys of driver eyesight using binocular screening devices.
§ Mr. David NicholsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has any proposals to seek to amend the law so as to make it an offence for a person to drive a vehicle while having defective vision, whether known to that person or not; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Peter BottomleyIt is an offence under section 91 of the Road Traffic Act 1972 to drive with defective eyesight, whether known or not, to the extent that the driver is unable to meet the number plate test.
206WIt is an offence to refuse to submit to any eyesight test required by a police constable. The maximum penalty is £400, as well as an obligatory two penalty points.
Around 300 people each year are prosecuted for these offences.