An inquest into the deaths of four people killed by drivers with failing eyesight in northern England has found enforcement of visual legal standards for motorists is “ineffective and unsafe”.
The HM senior coroner for Lancashire, Dr James Adeley, has sent a report to the transport secretary, Heidi Alexander, calling for action to be taken to prevent future deaths.
Adeley labelled the licensing system for drivers as the “laxest in Europe” as he said the UK was one of only three countries to rely on self-reporting of visual conditions affecting the ability to drive.
He said it was concerning that the UK was the only European country to issue licences without any visual checks for a continuous period up to the age of 70.
The coroner made the remarks on Thursday at the inquests in Preston of Marie Cunningham, 79, Grace Foulds, 85, Peter Westwell, 80, and Anne Ferguson, 75.
Cunningham and Foulds, who were friends, were hit by Glyn Jones, 68, in his Audi A3 as they crossed the road in Southport, Merseyside, on 30 November 2021.
Jones was aware for some years before the collision that his sight was insufficient to meet the minimum requirement to drive a car but failed to declare it to the Driving and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).
When he was jailed for seven years and four months, his sentencing hearing was told he could not see his steering wheel clearly.
Westwell was hit by Neil Pemberton, 81, as he crossed the road in Langho, near Blackburn, on 17 March 2022. Pemberton, who was jailed for 32 months, had a long history of eye disease and was informed on several occasions by different clinicians that he should not drive, the inquest heard.
He also repeatedly failed to declare his sight deficit on licence applications to the DVLA.
Ferguson died when she was struck by a van driven by Vernon Law, 72, in Whitworth, Rochdale, on 11 July 2023. A month before the incident, Law was told he had cataracts in both eyes but he lied to an optometrist that he did not drive.
Law, who was jailed for four years, knew he had problems with his eyes for years before the collision and also failed to declare his sight issues on licence applications to the DVLA, the inquest at County Hall heard.
Adeley said: “The four fatalities shared the same feature that the driver’s sight was well below the standard required to drive a car.
“The current system for ‘ensuring’ drivers meet the visual legal standards is ineffective, unsafe and unfit to meet the needs of society as evidenced by the deaths of Marie Cunningham, Grace Foulds, Anne Ferguson and Peter Westwell where the DVLA continued to provide licences to drivers who had failed to meet the legal sight requirements.”
The Department for Transport said it would consider the coroner’s report once received.
A spokesperson added: “The NHS recommends adults should have their eyes tested every two years and drivers are legally required to inform the DVLA if they have a condition which affects their eyesight.
“We are committed to improving road safety and continue to explore ways to achieve this.”
Source: theguardian.com
