MY driving licence was recently revoked by the DVLA medical group, ostensibly because of failing peripheral or visual fields testing. Like everybody else, I acquired my licence via a practical road driving test, during which the test examiner sat in the passenger seat of my car beside me. But this was not the way by which my licence was revoked. The decision to revoke came from me sitting in front of an eye-test machine. In my opinion the way in which driving licence revoking should be ascertained is by the same practical road test, except in a dual-control car. I personally think that visual fields testing is inappropriate in determining driving fitness. I know that this opinion can be contentious, but I do ask why practical road testing should not be the significant way in determining fitness to drive.
I received revocation notice three days from the date on the DVLA letter, this being the date effecting the illegality of me driving. I told the DVLA that during days I had not known that I'd been ordered to stop driving I had indeed been driving, that I had injured nobody nor damaged anything. I could have added that before receiving notification I could have been away motoring somewhere, even in Wales near their offices.
The result of the road test to obtain a driving licence is notified to the applicant on the spot, in person, immediately following the test. In the event of failure. the applicant is forbidden to drive the vehicle and requires someone with a valid licence to transport him/her in the personal test vehicle, as soon as the examiner discloses the failure. No time gap happens as can happen when a licence is revoked. Fitness to drive is the same issue in both instances, so why the difference?
I do say that there is also a gap existing between how licences are acquired and how they are removed and that the present system requires changing.
This is aside from questioning the whole issue of peripheral vision in regard to driving safely, where central vision is most probably the most essential. The very meanings of the words "peripheral" and "central" convey, in my opinion, this point.
There is also the question of those in England and Wales being allowed six months to appeal their revocation in the magistrate's court yet in Scotland it is three weeks.
Many points of interest arise around fitness to drive and among these is ageism, where driving is seen as a dodgier practice for older people, this despite their greater road experience. There is also the argument that road intelligence is underrated insofar as driving safety is concerned.
At least without a valid driving licence and in possession of my priceless pensioner free bus pass I can travel from A to B with a chauffeur-cum-bus driver. Not the worst thing in the world.
Ian Johnstone, Peterhead.
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