Skip Navigation


Journal of Public Health Advance Access originally published online on June 13, 2007
Journal of Public Health 2007 29(3):230-235; doi:10.1093/pubmed/fdm031
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
29/3/230    most recent
fdm031v1
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Anuradha, S.
Right arrow Articles by Fernquest, G.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Anuradha, S.
Right arrow Articles by Fernquest, G.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© The Author 2007, Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Faculty of Public Health. All rights reserved

Vision and drivers—a South Wales survey



S. Anuradha, Lecturer1,

C. Potter, Honorary Senior Lecturer2,3

G. Fernquest, Inspector, Operational Support4
1 Department of Health Systems, Policy and Practice, University of Queensland, Brisbane 4067, Australia
2 National Public Health Service for Wales, Pontypool NP4 0YP, UK
3 Public Health, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3XQ, UK
4 Road Policing Unit, Gwent Police Headquarters, Croesyceiliog NP44 2XJ, UK

Address correspondence to S. Anuradha, E-mail: s.anuradha{at}sph.uq.edu.au


  Abstract

Background A reasonable level of visual acuity is a prerequisite not only for the safety of drivers and their passengers but also other road users. We surveyed a sample of automobile and motorbike drivers in South Wales to identify the prevalence of drivers failing to meet the visual requirements for driving as laid down by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).

Methods A random sample of 301 automobile and motorbike drivers was stopped under police supervision in a lay-by on a single carriageway in Gwent. A simple questionnaire was administered to 298 of them followed by an eyesight test wherein they were asked to read vehicle registration plates at set distances in daylight. This replicated the mandatory test administered during a person's driving test in the UK.

Results There were five drivers among those tested whose eyesight failed to meet the DVLA standard for driving. This translates to 26 776 drivers in Wales and over half a million drivers in the UK. The failure rate was greater among drivers older than 40 years of age with one in 45 drivers failing the number plate test in that age group.

Conclusion There is an urgent need to raise public awareness and instigate personal responsibility among drivers to maintain the required vision for driving. The magnitude of the problem raises the debate about licence renewal based on periodic mandatory vision testing and the adequacy of the current visual standards used for drivers.

Keywords: road safety, eyesight, motor vehicle, licensure


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer:
Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.