Age 70/Glasses

TooManyPoints

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81952954#Comment_81952954

Housing shortage (i.e. pensioners living in large houses which they “don’t need”).

“Over generous” state pension increases paid from the current NI contributions of younger people.

Okell

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81953163#Comment_81953163

I thought when @Grey_Critic referred to "others" he meant people other than those over 70 who were involved in car accidents. (eg young people under 25 with perfect eyesight)

I didn't think he was referring to aspects of life other than car accidents where old people get "blamed".

Okell

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81952168#Comment_81952168

Hmmmm.

I suffer from an eye condition that periodically (about 3 or 4 times a year) affects one eye and requires urgent hospital treatment whenever it flares up. It causes blurred vision in the affected eye. I once completely lost vision in that eye.

It is not a condition on the list of eye conditions that need to be notified to DVLA.

Treatment involves daily eyedrops plus 2 or 3 hospital outpatient appointments per episode spread over a couple of months. I have a visual acuity test at each appointment and I am always told that the vision in my unaffected eye is "perfect" or even "better than perfect" - whatever that means. (Certainly with the unaffected eye I can read the bottom line of the Snellen chart. What line I can read on the Snellen chart with my affected eye depends how far into treatment I am).

Here's the interesting bit. I first had an eye test around 2000 when I was prescribed glasses for distance. The prescription changed a few times over the years until it last changed in 2019 - which is the last time I had a "routine" eye test.

Since then I've found over time that my distance vision has undoubtedly improved and I can see better without my glasses than I can with them. Because of this and because the hospital ophthalmologists tell me several times a year that my visual acuity is "perfect" or even "better than perfect" I haven't bothered with a routine eye test since 2019.

(NB: my visual acuity is tested in hospital without my prescription glasses from 2019.)

My frequent hospital eye tests also include a pressure test and retinal scans, but I don't think they cover peripheral vision.

I hadn't previously been aware that there was a peripheral vision driving requirement so I presume that hasn't been tested since my last routine eye test in 2019(?).

Fortunately I have a follow up eye appointment at the hospital on Thursday (strikes willing) so I'll discuss it with the doctors then.

As it happens I'm old enough to qualify for free eye tests anyway but I haven't bothered for 6 years as I'd assumed (perhaps mistakenly) that my hospital doctors telling me I had perfect unassisted eyesight meant there was no need for a routine test.

Guess I need to book a test… (Funnily enough my wife had her eyesight tested in March and got new specs on Saturday)

p00hsticks

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81952601#Comment_81952601

Over 70's don;t need a mandatory eye test - although there has been a suggestion that they could be brought in.

They simply need to renew their licence every three years and self-certificate at that point that they they are medically fit to drive and that their vision still meets the requirements.

I don't know if when renewing a phot licence every ten years prior to that age that drivers have to make a similar declaration ?

TooManyPoints

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81953387#Comment_81953387

I'd not looked at it that way. Stick, wrong end of, perhaps!😆

born_again

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81952053#Comment_81952053

Field test is not even part of the standard eyetest.

Many small opticians do not have the equipment.

SpecSaver have never checked mine in all the years I have used them, must be 20+ despite knowing I drive. Yet did my daughter the 1st time she was tested & charged extra.

Okell

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81953585#Comment_81953585

That's interesting

The last three times I've had my eyes tested was at Specsavers and each time I had what I was told was a peripheral vision test. I assume that is intended to test your field of vision. And those tests were all over 6 years ago.

As I said in my previous post I never realised that there was a peripheral vision/field of vision requirement to drive.

Some posters here think it is tested during "routine" eye tests but your experience is obviously different. I can't remember if it was tested when i used an independent opticians before using specsavers

The actual requirement (if it is a requirement) seems very wishy washy and vague and I suspect the vast majority of drivers are unaware of it.

Is it something that new learners are told about or do they only know about the 20m numberplate test? That's all I ever knew about

(Of course the idea that being able to read a numberplate at 20m is achieving any sort of reasonable standard is both comical and tragic…)

badmemory

But the idea of driving knowing that you are unable to read a numberplate at 20m is way beyond tragic.

Grey_Critic

About four years ago my optician said he could not issue a new prescription as my cataracts had reached the stage that I needed surgery. Within a few weeks I had the surgery and there was a dramatic improvement in my vision. How many are driving around with defective vision as they AVOID going for an eye test.

Never mind the over 70s make eye tests mandatory for anyone with a driving licence.

marcia_

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81953585#Comment_81953585

I didn't pay extra for it, it was part of a standard eye test in boots opticians.