§ 62. Sir B. Jannerasked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware that in a recent test conducted in Salford, one-third of the 1,457 motorists who took a health test proved to have defective eyesight and were not able to judge distances properly; and whether he will advise other local authorities to carry out occasional tests of this kind with a view to promoting greater road safety.
§ Mr. Tom FraserI know the findings of the Salford survey which set a higher standard than that established in the Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Regulations.
These regulations require drivers to be capable of reading a number plate at 25 yards in good daylight. Under Section 235 of the Road Traffic Act, 1960, it is an offence for an applicant for a driving licence to state that his vision reaches that standard if, in fact, it does not, and under Section 42 of the Road Traffic Act, 1962, it is an offence to drive a motor 86W vehicle on a road with vision—with glasses if worn—of less than that standard. I welcome any action by local authorities which may impress these points on motorists who may not have fully appreciated them.