MP rebuffed over eye tests for drivers

A MINISTER has rejected a Yorkshire MP’s call for drivers to face eyesight tests but denied the Government is complacent about road safety.

Transport Minister Theresa Villiers said forcing all motorists to have a test when they are 70 would cost £30m and would fail to prove a driver’s eyesight was good enough.

But Sheffield Heeley MP Meg Munn accused her of failing to offer “any comfort” to constituent Joy Barnes, whose daughter Fiona Buckley died after being hit by an 87-year-old driver with cataracts.

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Rejecting Ms Munn’s call for drivers to undergo mandatory eye testing at regular intervals, Ms Villiers said: “I completely refute the allegation of complacency. The Government are very focused and place high priority on road safety.

“We are determined to continue the UK’s good record on road safety, but we believe that the current arrangements are an effective means of maintaining safety on our roads.

“While an optician’s certificate, or equivalent, might provide assurance that someone has had their eyes tested, it would not guarantee that they could meet the current eyesight standard while driving, or that they used their prescribed glasses or corrective lenses. The optician’s test does not provide all the answers.”

She said the requirement for drivers to be able to read a number plate was “savings lives”.

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