Q In a recent magistrates court case a lorry driver was
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convicted of two cases of careless driving and fin and disqualified. In givii judgement, the chairman magistrates said that t. court felt that the drivel eyesight was at fault. Is not an offence to drive wi defective eyesight ?
A Yes, it is an offence drive a motor vehicle ( a road with defective or u corrected eyesight, accordit to Section 91(i) of the Rol. Traffic Act 1972.
Subsection (2) gives police officer powers require a driver to submit . an eyesight test if it thought that he might guilty of such an offence.
However, in view of t1 chairman's remarks, it is su prising that he did not sa that the magistrates woul notify the Secretary of Stal of the circumstances.
Section 92 of the At requires the court to motif the Secretary of State if i any proceedings for a offence committed in respe( of a motor vehicle, it appear to the court that the accuse might be suffering from an disease or physical disabilit which would be likely t cause the driving by him a motor vehicle to be source of danger to th public.
The question of eyesight h however, dependent on thi wearing of spectacles if thes are required to correct thi driver's eyesight. It is all toc easy for eyesight to deterio rate without the person con cerned knowing. It is drivim with uncorrected eyesigh which is deplorable.
However, unlike the privati motorist, the hgv license( driver must undergo medical test before his ligs licence is issued and again or each renewal. There is, there fore, a check on the standar( of vision at least every thre( years.