HC Deb 18 May 1989 vol 153 cc277-8W
Mr. Cohen

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the total number of people required to take regular eyesight tests in order to retain their driving licences; and what proportion fail on average every year.

Mr. Peter Bottomley

There is no information about the number of people required to take regular eyesight tests. In 1988–89 the total number of people required to take a prescribed eyesight test to determine their fitness to drive was 2,981.

Eyesight problems account for around 8 per cent. of the medical declarations on applications and notifications (during the currency of the licence), and around 8 per cent. of referrals and revocations relate to eyesight. In 1987–88 there were 10,442 revocations/refusals in all and in 1988–89 there were 10,891 revocations/refusals in all, resulting in over 800 revocations/refusals on eysight grounds in each year.