<div>India has the maximum road accident deaths with 138,000 people being killed each year as per the World Health Organisation (WHO). Road accidents cause an annual loss of Rs 55,000-60,000 crore, (3% of the GDP) to the country. Over the years, even as road and transport infrastructure and the number of vehicles have improved several fold, the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, still retains archaic clauses and considerations.<br /><br />As per Vision Impact Institute, a non-profit organisation, 42% of drivers have uncorrected refractive errors in India and these drivers contribute to 59% of all accidents occurring on Indian roads. According to WHO, more than 80% of drivers in India involved in car accidents have at least one visual disability. <br /><br />India has a ‘single-phase licensing system’ — a single phase of driver education and training prior to the written and driving test. <br /><br />The process for obtaining a driving licence in India does not include many key requirements. In Section 8, sub section (3) of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988,it is not mandatory to test visual acuity, colour vision, phoria or depth perception. “A self-declaration in case of a non-transport vehicle, and a medical certificate from a registered medical practitioner in case of a transport vehicle, is sufficient.”<br /><br />A driver is required only to read the number plate of a vehicle from a distance of 25 m. For non-transport vehicles, driving licences are valid for 20 years or till the holder attains the age of 50. Post 50, the licence must be renewed every five years. For applicants beyond 50, only a vision test for Presbyopia is required and other vision parameters are left unconsidered. <br /><br />For transport vehicles, while a medical certificate is required, it only addresses primary colour blindness and visual acuity from the standpoint of being able to read a car number plate at a distance of 25 m in daylight. The medical certification does not include visual field, binocular or monocular vision.<br /><br />Globally, there are stringent rules and procedures for obtaining driving licences. There is a compulsory visual acuity requirement for licensure and requirement of a visual field in the range of 110 degrees to 140 degrees in most states in the US, barring a few.<br /><br />Many European Union countries have compulsory visual acuity and visual field standards as a requirement for obtaining driving licence – a requirement of 0.5 visual acuity in both eyes and that the visual field being no less than 120 degrees. <br /><br />In Australia, for a commercial driving licence, a minimum visual acuity of 6/9 in the better eye and 6/18 in the worse eye is required. Vision test is mandatory on initial application, when applying for an additional class of vehicle and for public passenger vehicle drivers and driving instructors, every five years until the age of 45, every two years until the age of 65 and annually thereafter. <br /><br />Stricter regulations<br /><br />A recent campaign in the UK titled “#DrivingBlind” —called for legislative change to raise vision standards for drivers and to make eye test mandatory. The campaign conducts spot vision checks on the streets to raise awareness and advocates for stricter regulations.<br /><br />For India, keeping in view the large number of road accidents, it is recommended that while applying for new licences and for renewal of licences for both non-transport and transport vehicles, applicants must submit a vision test certificate issued by a registered ophthalmologist/optometrist. The certificate must specify minimum standards for visual acuity, visual field, should assess both monocular and binocular vision during day and night and test the ability to distinguish between primary colours. <br /><br />Licences should be renewed every five years after the age of 50 and every three years after the age of 65. <br /><br />For transport vehicle drivers, licences should be renewed every three years. Awareness on vision care and testing needs to be imparted as part of the training in driving schools.<br /><br /><em>(The writer is the Principal Consultant for Vision Impact Institute, New Delhi)</em></div>
<div>India has the maximum road accident deaths with 138,000 people being killed each year as per the World Health Organisation (WHO). Road accidents cause an annual loss of Rs 55,000-60,000 crore, (3% of the GDP) to the country. Over the years, even as road and transport infrastructure and the number of vehicles have improved several fold, the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, still retains archaic clauses and considerations.<br /><br />As per Vision Impact Institute, a non-profit organisation, 42% of drivers have uncorrected refractive errors in India and these drivers contribute to 59% of all accidents occurring on Indian roads. According to WHO, more than 80% of drivers in India involved in car accidents have at least one visual disability. <br /><br />India has a ‘single-phase licensing system’ — a single phase of driver education and training prior to the written and driving test. <br /><br />The process for obtaining a driving licence in India does not include many key requirements. In Section 8, sub section (3) of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988,it is not mandatory to test visual acuity, colour vision, phoria or depth perception. “A self-declaration in case of a non-transport vehicle, and a medical certificate from a registered medical practitioner in case of a transport vehicle, is sufficient.”<br /><br />A driver is required only to read the number plate of a vehicle from a distance of 25 m. For non-transport vehicles, driving licences are valid for 20 years or till the holder attains the age of 50. Post 50, the licence must be renewed every five years. For applicants beyond 50, only a vision test for Presbyopia is required and other vision parameters are left unconsidered. <br /><br />For transport vehicles, while a medical certificate is required, it only addresses primary colour blindness and visual acuity from the standpoint of being able to read a car number plate at a distance of 25 m in daylight. The medical certification does not include visual field, binocular or monocular vision.<br /><br />Globally, there are stringent rules and procedures for obtaining driving licences. There is a compulsory visual acuity requirement for licensure and requirement of a visual field in the range of 110 degrees to 140 degrees in most states in the US, barring a few.<br /><br />Many European Union countries have compulsory visual acuity and visual field standards as a requirement for obtaining driving licence – a requirement of 0.5 visual acuity in both eyes and that the visual field being no less than 120 degrees. <br /><br />In Australia, for a commercial driving licence, a minimum visual acuity of 6/9 in the better eye and 6/18 in the worse eye is required. Vision test is mandatory on initial application, when applying for an additional class of vehicle and for public passenger vehicle drivers and driving instructors, every five years until the age of 45, every two years until the age of 65 and annually thereafter. <br /><br />Stricter regulations<br /><br />A recent campaign in the UK titled “#DrivingBlind” —called for legislative change to raise vision standards for drivers and to make eye test mandatory. The campaign conducts spot vision checks on the streets to raise awareness and advocates for stricter regulations.<br /><br />For India, keeping in view the large number of road accidents, it is recommended that while applying for new licences and for renewal of licences for both non-transport and transport vehicles, applicants must submit a vision test certificate issued by a registered ophthalmologist/optometrist. The certificate must specify minimum standards for visual acuity, visual field, should assess both monocular and binocular vision during day and night and test the ability to distinguish between primary colours. <br /><br />Licences should be renewed every five years after the age of 50 and every three years after the age of 65. <br /><br />For transport vehicle drivers, licences should be renewed every three years. Awareness on vision care and testing needs to be imparted as part of the training in driving schools.<br /><br /><em>(The writer is the Principal Consultant for Vision Impact Institute, New Delhi)</em></div>
