CM survey shows 24 , 000 licences at risk • Around 24,000
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drivers— eight times more than the Government predicted—look set to lose their Class 2 driving licence as a result of new ELT regulations due to take effect on 1 January next year, Commercial Motor's exclusive survey reveals.
Preliminary analysis from a free eyesight screening programme offered to 200 drivers at Truckfest last weekend showed 1.5% failed to meet the standards in both eyes.
Out of 1.6-million Class 2 licence holders nationally (drivers of HGVs over 7.5 tonnes and drivers of PCVs with more than 17 seats) this equates to no less than 24,000 failures. The Government claims that only 3,000 drivers would fail the tougher eyesight test.
In fact the failure rate could be as high as 20% if drivers fail to upgrade their glasses or get glasses: our survey showed that 15% failed the test but some could pass if they got glasses.
Strangely, 5.5% of drivers passed the minimum standards without their glasses but failed the higher standards when they wore them!
Overall 50% passed the test without using glasses; a further 24.5% passed with glasses.