Photo credit: Stuart Heath
The first time I ever realised that I needed to wear glasses was on my first evening driving lesson.
As I sat behind the wheel I got a bit worried because I couldn’t see as far as I could during the day. I wasn’t exactly like Mr Magoo, but it is pretty frightening to not be able to see as far ahead as you would like.
Of course, I rushed out and got a pair of glasses. In fact, maybe I rushed a bit too much, as some people pointed out to me they made me look like Dame Edna Everage or Elton John. I quickly changed to a more sensible pair and I have worn glasses to drive ever since.
Failed the Test and Kept on Driving
I only mention this because the so called Cassie’s Law has now been agreed. This came about when 16 year old Cassie McCord was tragically killed by a driver who had failed a police eye test just a few days earlier.
The law for revoking the driving license of someone with bad eyesight was slow and cumbersome and this meant that the 87 year old motorist who couldn’t see clearly was able to carry on driving until eventually careering onto the pavement and killing young Carrie.
45,000 signatures were added to a petition to make changes to the law and the good news is that it has been successful. Now police have a much smarter process for getting the license revoked, as they can communicate with DVLA by email from the side of the road instead of by conventional mail.
If you are worried about being able to see clearly then a good test is to try and read a license plate from 20 metres away. If you can’t do it then I have a pair of old frames I could sell to you for a reasonable price.