new driving licence rules for people over 70

[Robmac]

I think if you wear prescription glasses for driving that should be fine. You don't have to be elderly to have poor eyesight.

With my bins on I have 20/20 vision, without them I couldn't hit a cow's arse with a banjo!

 

[alcam]

I think if you wear prescription glasses for driving that should be fine. You don't have to be elderly to have poor eyesight.

With my bins on I have 20/20 vision, without them I couldn't hit a cow's arse with a banjo!

Think your eyesight can stop deteriorating or even improve when you're older .
Blind Willie McTell told me that !
Apparently there is some truth in it

 

[trevskoda]

I think if you wear prescription glasses for driving that should be fine. You don't have to be elderly to have poor eyesight.

With my bins on I have 20/20 vision, without them I couldn't hit a cow's arse with a banjo!

Are you stringing us along.

 

[REC]

I can't understand why a tick box can't be added to the yearly/ two yearly sight test at the optician. Should just state that sight is compliant with driving rules. That could cover everyone over or under 70yrs. Would sort that issue, and mean that drivers had to have regular sight tests.

 

[Fisherman]

P

I think if you wear prescription glasses for driving that should be fine. You don't have to be elderly to have poor eyesight.

With my bins on I have 20/20 vision, without them I couldn't hit a cow's arse with a banjo!

thats not the issue Rob. Some elderly people require surgery for carteracks, or who have macular degeneration etc sometimes undiagnosed who would fail an eye test and are still driving.

 

[GeoffL]

Think your eyesight can stop deteriorating or even improve when you're older .
Blind Willie McTell told me that !
Apparently there is some truth in it

It depends (in part) on your unaided acuity when young. Someone I know used to be short-sighted (IIRC), needed glasses for driving and could read unaided without problems; but now meets the C1 eyesight requirement unaided and needs glasses for reading.

P

thats not the issue Rob. Some elderly people require surgery for carteracks, or who have macular degeneration etc sometimes undiagnosed who would fail an eye test and are still driving.

There's no need to declare having had cataract removal surgery and even if you have cataracts, they might not be severe enough to significantly affect your driving (I passed the C1 eyesight test with one cataract still in place). That said, I was shocked at the increase in contrast and colour intensity after I'd had my cataracts removed. However, it's not just the over 70s who can suffer from cataracts, macular degeneration, etc. and so the tick-box that @REC suggested makes a lot of sense.

 

[trevskoda]

I can't understand why a tick box can't be added to the yearly/ two yearly sight test at the optician. Should just state that sight is compliant with driving rules. That could cover everyone over or under 70yrs. Would sort that issue, and mean that drivers had to have regular sight tests.

Cand read your post as letters to small.

 

[Fisherman]

T

It depends (in part) on your unaided acuity when young. Someone I know used to be short-sighted (IIRC), needed glasses for driving and could read unaided without problems; but now meets the C1 eyesight requirement unaided and needs glasses for reading.


There's no need to declare having had cataract removal surgery and even if you have cataracts, they might not be severe enough to significantly affect your driving (I passed the C1 eyesight test with one cataract still in place). That said, I was shocked at the increase in contrast and colour intensity after I'd had my cataracts removed. However, it's not just the over 70s who can suffer from cataracts, macular degeneration, etc. and so the tick-box that @REC suggested makes a lot of sense.

Geoff I don’t disagree with anything you posted. But you never mentioned that whereas it’s possible for a 20 year old to suffer from macular degeneration and other ophthalmic problems it’s way more likely that elderly people will suffer from such ailments than younger people. Hence why from age 70 we are asked to self certify our fitness to drive every three years. Sadly as we age the chances of us requiring medical aid increase massively. Hence why I have no issue with having to provide validation of my fitness to drive at some point in my life. Younger drivers should also have to provide validation say every ten years in my honest opinion.

 

[GeoffL]

Geoff I don’t disagree with anything you posted. But you never mentioned that whereas it’s possible for a 20 year old to suffer from macular degeneration and other ophthalmic problems it’s way more likely that elderly people will suffer from such ailments than younger people. Hence why from age 70 we are asked to self certify our fitness to drive every three years. Sadly as we age the chances of us requiring medical aid increase massively. Hence why I have no issue with having to provide validation of my fitness to drive at some point in my life. Younger drivers should also have to provide validation say every ten years in my honest opinion.

I agree -- as we age, certain conditions become more likely and so it makes sense for more effort to be made to ensure older drivers remain fit to drive. I suspect that we also agree that many conditions are not the exclusive preserve of the elderly and so your implied proposal for those under 70 to renew every ten years (i.e. the lifetime of a photocard) and provide validation makes sense...

 

[Geek]

Everybody has cataract. It isn't a thing, it's a growing cloudiness in your eyes. It happens gradually as you age, but gets bad fast for some people. Effectively it's like slightly dirty lenses in your glasses. Reduces contrast but doesn't always make vision poor.

Older people have worse eyesight and slower reactions, but better driving experience and they are more risk averse.

Insurance companies take risks into account when assessing premiums. Even though older people are more frail and more likely to be injured in an accident, they pay lower premiums than average. Far, far lower premiums than teenagers.
Go figure.

 

[Geek]

Hence why from age 70 we are asked to self certify our fitness to drive every three years. Sadly as we age the chances of us requiring medical aid increase massively. Hence why I have no issue with having to provide validation of my fitness to drive at some point in my life. Younger drivers should also have to provide validation say every ten years in my honest opinion.

If you want to keep C1 you have to take a medical every three years once you pass 70..

 

[trevskoda]

If you want to keep C1 you have to take a medical every three years once you pass 70..

You will be doing that now for normal driving licence first of aug it starts.

 

[Rumour]

Are you stringing us along.

Where did you pluck that one from!

 

[TrevandJenny]

I have one eye going down hill, worse at night, so will have to go private at £2000, 5 year wating on helth service in norn iron.

Trev, #around three months ago I went to spec savers for bi annual eyesight test, my left eye vision has always been worse. The ophthalmologist after doing his tests advised that my left eye would benefit if I had a cataract procedure.
.
Ok I thought it can’t be any worse than it is now so agreed, he arranged everything and elected a private clinic ( NHS paid for ) to visit the eye specialist. around a week later appointment made, again advised cataract that could be removed and new lens implanted , around three to four weeks job done, other eye was none a while later.
.
Reason for above is it seems Specsavers are able to direct patients privately to keep NHS eye clinics from being overwhelmed.
.
Conclusion to my eye surgery, although I didn’t think that my sight seeing colours were anything other than normal, how wrong I was, The procedure has given me and others as well a technicolour lifestyle. Brilliant,
.
Maybe specsavers could help you as well

Regards

Trev.T

 

[trevskoda]

Trev, #around three months ago I went to spec savers for bi annual eyesight test, my left eye vision has always been worse. The ophthalmologist after doing his tests advised that my left eye would benefit if I had a cataract procedure.
.
Ok I thought it can’t be any worse than it is now so agreed, he arranged everything and elected a private clinic ( NHS paid for ) to visit the eye specialist. around a week later appointment made, again advised cataract that could be removed and new lens implanted , around three to four weeks job done, other eye was none a while later.
.
Reason for above is it seems Specsavers are able to direct patients privately to keep NHS eye clinics from being overwhelmed.
.
Conclusion to my eye surgery, although I didn’t think that my sight seeing colours were anything other than normal, how wrong I was, The procedure has given me and others as well a technicolour lifestyle. Brilliant,
.
Maybe specsavers could help you as well

Regards

Trev.T

Yes they can send you to eye clinic, but nhs dont pay, cheepest i have found this week is £1.500.

 

[GeoffL]

Trev, #around three months ago I went to spec savers for bi annual eyesight test, my left eye vision has always been worse. The ophthalmologist after doing his tests advised that my left eye would benefit if I had a cataract procedure.
.
Ok I thought it can’t be any worse than it is now so agreed, he arranged everything and elected a private clinic ( NHS paid for ) to visit the eye specialist. around a week later appointment made, again advised cataract that could be removed and new lens implanted , around three to four weeks job done, other eye was none a while later.
.
Reason for above is it seems Specsavers are able to direct patients privately to keep NHS eye clinics from being overwhelmed.
.
Conclusion to my eye surgery, although I didn’t think that my sight seeing colours were anything other than normal, how wrong I was, The procedure has given me and others as well a technicolour lifestyle. Brilliant,
.
Maybe specsavers could help you as well

Regards

Trev.T

TBH, I suspect it depends on which NHS authority you come under. For me, my optician referred me to the local NHS trust, who have a "Patient Advice Centre", who put me on the waiting list for my nearest NHS hospital. On finding the wait would be over a year, I phoned the centre and asked if there was an alternative. They said there was and we agreed for me to go onto the list of a private hospital who were doing NHS work. My wait came down then to just 3 months. In my case, the facility was there, but I had to ask!

Re. colours and contrast: I was shocked at the increase in contrast and colour intensity and no longer did I need the lights on full to see what I was doing. I didn't know how bad my eyesight had got until the veil was lifted!

 

[Thistle]

However there is also potential good news, the EU 4th directive on driving licences should be ratified into law soon and EU countries will then have up to four years to implement, it widely expected UK will take all the changes onboard as well.

One of the changes is to allow vans up to 4250kg to be driven on a B license which for many will remove the need to retain their C1

 

[Geek]

You will be doing that now for normal driving licence first of aug it starts.

That is very definitely not what the new rules state, even though it might be a good idea.

 

[Alf]

It comes to us all some sooner than later I think most know when to stop wether the do is open to discussion. I’m still going strong but insurance increases with age….Alf

 

[trevskoda]

However there is also potential good news, the EU 4th directive on driving licences should be ratified into law soon and EU countries will then have up to four years to implement, it widely expected UK will take all the changes onboard as well.

One of the changes is to allow vans up to 4250kg to be driven on a B license which for many will remove the need to retain their C1

Im 50kg over weight.