 Visual
acuity and legal visual requirement to drive a
passenger vehicle in the
UK...
Kiel AW, Butler T,
Alwitry A.
2002
Ophthalmology Department, Queens Medical Centre,
Nottingham, UK.
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OBJECTIVES: (1). To test the consistency and ease
with which number-plates of different component
figures can be read under DVLA driving test
conditions; (2). to test the relative difficulty
of reading corresponding figures on registration
plates of white and yellow backgrounds.
Design Prospective study of consecutive
eligible clinic patients.
SETTING: Ophthalmology outpatients.
SUBJECTS: 210 individuals with a corrected visual
acuity with both eyes open of between 6/9 and
6/12.
MAIN
OUTCOME MEASURES: The ability to read three
different number-plates under standard DVLA
driving-test conditions (ie at 20.5 m in good
daylight with glasses if worn) and the ability to
read identical number-plates against a white and a
yellow background.
RESULTS: There is a significant difference between
the ease with which three different number-plates
can be read depending on their letter and numeral
composition, although this did not seem to be
significantly affected by whether they were
printed on a yellow or white background. Only
92.3% of subjects could read all the number-plates
at the legal distance, 96.7% could read at least
one number-plate at the legal distance and 3.3% of
the test subjects could not read any of the
number-plates at 20.5 m.
CONCLUSIONS: The current test protocol used to
obtain a driving licence and, moreover, the test
the police will employ to assess visual competence
to drive, is highly variable and is unlikely to
give consistent repeatable results. The
performance of those with equally good visual
acuity is unpredictable and is highly dependent on
the number-plate they are asked to read. This
variability could exclude some who would otherwise
pass the test or pass an individual with a visual
acuity below accepted standards. The forthcoming
changes in the regulations for design of
number-plates is an ideal opportunity to
standardise the whole testing procedure for
driving visual acuity.
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