A short time ago I had my regular eyetest. I'm worse than average short-sight (-8d contacts) and would have trouble not walking into things without my contacts, let alone driving. I remember commenting to the optician that the registration plate test was pretty damn easy - you'd have to have very bad eyesight not to be able to read it.

So when I read on the AutoExpress website that according to research done by Halfords & Boots, more than 3 million drivers have such poor eyesight they are below the legal limit, my jaw hit the table!

God that is REALLY SCARY!

 

Huh? You're -8 dioptres and you can see the registration numbers at 70 ft? I'm only -3.5 and I can't see much unblurred beyond arm's length. I suppose I could read the numbers if I squinted. People don't realize what a tough life us half-blind drivers have -- having to change from ordinary glasses to sunglasses whilst driving because it's suddenly got bright is a nightmare, as is driving through a tunnel with prescription sunglasses on (leave 'em on -- can't see, take 'em off -- can't see).

 

considered laser surgery?

cheaper these days and have come accross many cases of vastly improved sight for short sighted people such as yourselves!

OH but I suppose that -8.5 is covered by a free exmamination ?

 

I've heard some bad reports about the long term effects of laser surgery and how it affects night vision such that it's impossible to drive safely at night. Even worse in certain rare cases it can make people like the lights in the MY01

I'm not saying that it's 100% certain to happen but that my sight something I don't like to to mess with.

Seriously investigate laser surgery before having it.

 

neil,

having had the misfortune to work in a high street opticians for over a year i am speaking from my personal experience. I did in the year I work there come in contact with approximately 30 people who had had the surgery with varying sucess from no need for glasses to patients still required glasses but at a greatly reduced prescription. I did not come accross anyone who complained of no improvement/worsening.

night vision is normally adversly affected by catarcts.

as with anything an individul purchases without a guarentee "caveat emptor".


oh forgot to say that they only do surgery on an eye at a time!

[This message has been edited by jjones (edited 15 December 2000).]

 

One thing to rememer, if you need glasses as I do make sure you don't drive without them as your insurance can be made invalid and on South today tonight some chap was convicted of man slaughter as he ran someone over and was not wearing his glasses. Sad case, but it should make all us glasses wearers think twice.

 

some european countries have a law saying that if you require specs to drive you must carry a spare pair in the car.