The car accident rates of elderly drivers

Recent research has revealed that one third of UK drivers are at risk of breaking the law and causing car accidents as a result of driving with poor eyesight. Many of these motorists are thought to be the elderly whose sight has deteriorated over time.

There is no doubt that drivers with undeclared vision loss present a danger to UK motorists and are at risk of becoming the subject of personal injury compensation claims.

Elderly drivers and eye tests
The law states that drivers who need glasses or contact lenses must always wear them while driving and that driving with uncorrected vision is an offence carrying a fine of 1000 and up to three penalty points.

Many elderly drivers who have bad eyesight are still allowed to drive even if their level of vision falls below legal requirements. This is largely because doctors and opticians are confused about how to define the vision of people who "fall between stools" on a vision chart (i.e. being slightly between two levels - under the maximum limit for safe driving but over the last level specified on the chart).

UK drivers believe the elderly are to blame for many accidents
A motor insurance survey conducted this year found that almost half of Britain's drivers believe elderly drivers are to blame for the country's high car accident rates and that they should be banned from driving during peak traffic hours.

Other research shows that drivers think the elderly find modern road conditions daunting and that the slow driving that results as they try to negotiate traffic can cause car accidents.

Many added that they had no desire to become embroiled in compensation claims resulting from the poor driving of motorists who struggle to adapt to modern conditions on UK roads and motorways.

Of course, there is a danger of UK drivers stereotyping elderly motorists as being slow and unadaptive drivers. The truth is that many younger drivers also suffer from vision loss that may cause them to become the subject of no win, no fee compensation claims.

It is also reasonable to say that a younger and over-confident motorist who drives at excessive speeds is more likely to be the subject of a car accident claim for compensation than an older and experienced driver who errs on the side of caution.

When does somebody become too old to drive?
At what age somebody becomes too old to drive is a sensitive subject as losing a licence affects people's freedom and mobility. Many pensioners who are still very mentally agile are disconcerted by the fact that their means of getting around may disappear. There's currently no upper-age-limit restricting an older person’s legal entitlement to drive

Acting director of the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) in Scotland, Billy Watson, says: "Every driver should give their eyes a regular MOT. An eye test isn't just about whether you need glasses, but also about preventing your sight from getting worse or detecting blinding conditions which may need immediate treatment."

Find out more about the RNIB at www.rnib.org.uk.

The current UK vision chart
Anybody who drives in the UK has to be able to read the number plate of the car in front from a distance of 20.5 metres away. According to the DVLA, this means scoring between 6/9 and 6/12 on a standard eye chart.

• Perfect vision (6/6): You can read a line of letters from six feet away

• 6/9 vision: You can only read a line at six feet that a normal individual could read at nine feet

• 6/12 vision: You can read a line at six feet that people with 6/6 can read at 12 feet

How to claim after a non-fault car accident
Every year we help hundreds of UK drivers who have been involved in a car accident to claim compensation for personal injuries they have sustained through no fault of their own.

Our panel of no win, no fee solicitors all have Law Society accreditation and the advantage of many years successfully working in this area of the legal profession. Their excellent understanding of personal injury law is reflected in a proud success rate in dealing with car accident cases.

So why not explore your right to compensation today?

You can reach us on our simple-to-use e-chat, by requesting a call back, filling out our online claims form or, alternatively, call us now on 0800 10 757 95 and we will guide you step-by-step through the compensation claims process and answer any questions you may have about getting car accident compensation with YouClaim.