Policy and strategy, Document

Vision driving standards: position statement

The Welsh Optometric Committee supports the need for stricter vision standards of drivers in Wales.

First published: 7 January 2026

Last updated: 7 January 2026

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The Welsh Optometric Committee has reviewed the Prevention of Future Deaths report ^[^{footnote 1}^] submitted by coroner Dr. James Adeley, dated 17 April 2025, concerning four deaths which occurred due to drivers whose eyesight was below the UK legal standards for Class I vehicles at the time of their road traffic collisions.

These awful events are unfortunately not unique and highlight an urgent need for overhaul of driving standards to bring the UK in line with standards across Europe and the wider world. Legislation surrounding driving standards is not devolved, and requires change actioned by the UK central government, however, Wales has the opportunity to set a precedent within the United Kingdom by taking a decisive stance on this issue of public safety.

Driving remains an integral part of daily life for many, especially in a country such as Wales with so many rural areas. This means ensuring the safety of all road users must remain a paramount priority. It is the view of the Welsh Optometric Committee that introducing more rigorous and reliable vision testing requirements and enforcement will significantly enhance road safety and reduce the risks posed by drivers with inadequate vision.

Dr Adeley’s report concluded that these deaths were due only to poor eyesight of the drivers at fault. In reply, the Department of Transport’s Minister for the Future of Roads stated ^[^{footnote 2}^] that they believe it is “essential for drivers to prioritise regular eye examinations and take corrective measures to ensure they meet the necessary vision standards for driving.”

UK drivers do not undergo an objective measure of vision and assessment of eye health: The Road Traffic Act 1937 is no longer fit for purpose.

Current vison requirements to apply for a licence from the DVLA rely on a screening test of distance acuity at the point of driving test (with no test of visual field), and self-certification upon renewal. Many motorists can and will go over 50 years of their lives without any question of their eyesight. This is insufficient to evaluate a driver’s fitness to safely navigate our roads, risking pedestrians, other road users, and the driver themselves.

Drivers with uncorrected (or undiagnosed) visual impairments may not be able to react promptly to hazards, have a higher crash risk ^[^{footnote 3}^] and may not be aware of their impairment. More concerningly, UK research ^[^{footnote 4}^] indicates motorists may suspect their impairment, and may even have been informed they are no longer legal to drive, and choosing to continue despite advice from their optometrist, optician, or doctor.

The College of Optometrists and Association of Optometrists recently published their response to these events ^[^{footnote 5}^], an open letter to the Secretary of State for Transport and emphasised that “the UK’s approach is out of step with best practice internationally.”

The Welsh Optometric Committee fully supports the recommendations as set out in this letter and would go further: to recommend mandatory driving safety eye examinations at point of issue of a Class I driving licence, with mandatory minimum re-testing at specified intervals of life.

Within Europe, there are only five countries remaining who still use a licence plate test for visual acuity testing, and only three countries remaining who rely upon self-reporting of visual condition by the driver. The UK’s potential interval between checks is the longest in Europe (up to 53 years), with no robust check at all.

Note that as worldwide examples:

Australia mandates 5-yearly retesting after age 50, increasing to 3-to-5-yearly after age 65, and 1-to-2-yearly after age 75 (varies by state)
Italy every 10 years (every 5 years after age 50)
the USA every 4 to 10 years (varies by state)

Those applying or reapplying for a licence within the UK should face periodic safeguards beyond the basic "number plate" test.

These tests should include assessments of visual acuity at point of issue and at least 10-yearly thereafter, and additional tests (such peripheral vision and contrast sensitivity) at point of issue and routinely over a pre-defined age.

These tests should be administered by an appropriate regulated healthcare professional (HCP), HCP (optometrist, optician, or doctor) and may be considered separate or supplementary to routine eye examinations.

Entrusting HCPs provides accountability, governance and maintains professional standards. They are ideally placed to support these standards and already do so routinely ^[^{footnote 6}^]. Passing such standards should be reported by the HCP rather than self-declared by the patient and the requirement for a correction should remain stated on issued licences.

Drivers are accustomed to costs incurred from a road user (such as road tax, MOT, repairs) and as such, in the interest of theirs and the public’s safety should be willing to ensure they remain as road-worthy as their vehicle.

In addition to general population safety improvement, there is also a significant opportunity to detect and treat ocular and systemic pathology earlier in its course, in a higher proportion of the population, whilst also dispensing vital ‘make every contact count’ advice. In Wales, ~1 in 5 ^[^{footnote 7}^] individuals do not access regular eye care. A structured social paradigm regarding vision standards also provides opportunity for public education on the standards ^[^{footnote 8}^], and for a clarified mechanism whereby an appropriate healthcare professional can escalate concerns regarding patients under their care. Eye examinations are accessible across more than three hundred practices and over thirty domiciliary providers across Wales.

Implementing comprehensive measures would not only protect the lives of drivers, but also safeguard pedestrians, cyclists, and other road users. Countries who have successfully adopted stricter vision standards have demonstrable improvements in road safety ^[^{footnote 9}^].

Wales can advocate for change.

The Welsh Optometric Committee urge Welsh Government to consider the position of the profession, and to take action to revise and strengthen the vision standards for drivers. We look forward to your response and to seeing Wales lead the way in prioritising road safety.

Yours sincerely,

Nkosi Yearwood (he/him)
Optometrist | Chair, on behalf of the Welsh Optometric Committee.

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