Rethink plea on eye tests by road victim’s family

Fiona Buckley, 43, was crossing Abbey Lane in Sheffield in her motorised wheelchair when she was hit by a car driven by an 87-year-old man. He was later found to have eye cataracts that could have been there for 18 months.

Miss Buckley’s aunt Joy Barnes, also from Sheffield, is now spearheading a campaign backed by national road safety charity Brake, the Eye Health Alliance and Specsavers opticians which calls on the Government to introduce a scientifically recognised method for testing eyesight which would replace number plate tests.

The campaigners also say drivers’ eyesight should be regularly retested to make sure they are fit to drive.

However, a Government paper currently open to consultation proposes making the current test easier, by reducing the distance from which drivers have to read a number plate to 17 metres.

Ms Barnes said: “Fiona’s death hit us all hard.”

She said the driver should not have been on the roads with such poor eyesight, adding: “It is a travesty that nothing was done to make sure that drivers meet a minimum standard of sight.

“If this driver had been made to have a sight test to keep his licence then Fiona would still be with us.”

In December 2008 Miss Buckley was crossing the road with her friend Kay Pilley when the pair were hit by the car as the pensioner returned from a casino. He told police he heard a bang but hadn’t seen the women in the road.

Miss Buckley, who was born with spina bifida and hydrocephalus and spent most of her adult life in a wheelchair, suffered a major head injury and a number of fractures and died from multiple organ failure six weeks later.

The motorist involved admitted death by careless driving but was given an absolute discharge at Sheffield Crown Court with three penalty points on his licence.

The eyesight campaign is supported by a survey carried out by Brake, published today, which shows that 75 per cent of motorists support compulsory eyesight testing for drivers every five years.

The campaigns director of Brake, Julie Townsend, said: “As a charity that supports families devastated by road deaths and injuries, we recognise how vital it is to ensure all drivers have good eyesight.

“Being able to see clearly what’s in front and around you is fundamental to safe, responsible driving. So it’s baffling that the Government proposes making the number plate test even easier, rather than taking the opportunity to tighten up regulations.

“We hope to see common sense winning through. To make our roads safer we need a scientific eyesight test carried out at the start of your driving career and regularly throughout it.”

Heather Marshall from the Eye Health Alliance added: “Eyesight can change gradually over a period of time so many drivers may not even be aware that they have a problem with their vision.

“It is extremely disappointing that the Government has not taken the opportunity of the new EU regulations to replace the outdated number plate test with a standardised test at regular intervals, to ensure that all drivers are not putting themselves and others at risk unnecessarily.”

The campaign is also being supported by Sheffield Heeley MP Meg Munn, who described Miss Buckley’s death as “tragic.”

She said: “It is astonishing that in the 21st century the eyesight test involves reading number plates.

“It is time that the Government understood the devastation caused by road deaths. Now is the time to put in place a proper eyesight test.”