Car Insurance. Bad eyesight not an option for drivers

What happens when you have an accident? The insurance company looks at whose fault it was of course, but there may be more to it than that. If the accident is your fault, and it happened because your car was not operating properly, ie the brakes needed fixing, or the tyres are in an obvious state of disrepair, then you may find that your insurance company won't be so keen to pay out for your own damage. They may also wonder if your eyesight is as good as it could be, and if they find out if doesn't reach the minimum standard, you could be in trouble.

Many accident report forms include a statement relating to not seeing the other vehicle - that doesn't mean that the other driver necessarily did anything wrong - perhaps it's their eyesight at fault.

When it comes to driving, there are specific rules relating to the level of your eyesight. It's important that you visit the optician regularly to check that your eyesight has not deteriorated, and if you feel that it has, that you go and find out if you do need to be prescribed glasses. It's only fair to the other drivers on the road.

I was driving through London a few weeks ago and, like many others, was finding it hard to keep track of which lane I should be in, always on the lookout for more road signs. The elderly man driving in front of me was having even more problems, as he clearly couldn't see the signs as he approached them. He slowed down right in front of me, and accidentally crawled through a red light as he concentrated on getting the sign right. It was very lucky that he didn't cause an accident, as by this time traffic had started to approach from the right.

It was clear that the gentlemen was not able to see properly, and is therefore a danger on the roads. He was, in fact, acting illegally, as if you don't reach a minimum standard for seeing long distance, you are breaking the law. People that are unable to meet the standard are required by law to give up their licence.

The minimum standard requires you to be able to read a standard legal number plate (50 mm wide and 79mm high) from a distance of 20 metres. This can be achieved with the use of spectacles or contact lenses.

This situation is bound to arise as, in this country, drivers are not required by law to have regular eye tests. In some areas of America, drivers are required by law to take a test every 5 years. In this country, driving becomes illegal if you're unable to meet the minimum standard even with a visual aid, or you develop a medical condition that affects your eyesight in some other way that is unacceptable to the DVLA. You must inform them if you do develop a relevant medical condition, to withhold that information would be an illegal act.

UK law does stipulate that drivers over the age of 70 complete a medical form every 3 years to verify their fitness. This includes eyesight in the definition. If you are a driver aged over 70 and you forget to send the form in, you automatically lose your right to a driving licence.

The insurance company will be all too happy to deny your claim if your eyesight was found to have potentially contributed to an accident. So you must make sure that if you need glasses, you always wear them while driving - for the sake of everyone on the road!

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