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Driving License revoked

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This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
andy campbell said:
even people with "perfect" vision are caught out with the dog, child, car(?) or caravan
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Quite right. On the car, sometimes they have pulled up when you look at them, can appear to be parked, and register as "safe" . When you look away they set off again.
 
interesting, I get asked by the optician if my distance vision is ok, so I say yes, we could go out and of the room and get asked to read a number plate in the car park, but I just do the numbers at the end of the wall.

guess the periph test is when they shine lights in your eyes ?
 
Steve Liddle said:
guess the periph test is when they shine lights in your eyes ?
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No, it's when you sit at a special machine, and you have to press a button every time you see a little flash on the screen, and the flashes pop up all round different areas of the screen. Or at least, that was what it was like when I did it.
 
Robin said:
No, it's when you sit at a special machine, and you have to press a button every time you see a little flash on the screen, and the flashes pop up all round different areas of the screen. Or at least, that was what it was like when I did it.
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That's what I've done, when having an ordinary eye test. Had one just last year.
 
I've never had one of those tests in any eye test I've had, diabetic or otherwise.
 
I always have the peripheral vision test, or I have since I've been diabetic. I'm due for my annual test now, so I'll ask in Specsavers if it's a compulsory part of the vision test for Ds, or they do it for bonus money. I wonder if the same visual standard is required for mobility scooters. From my own experiences of other folk driving them, I very much doubt it.
 
Often their frontal vision seems equally defective too ! Only rivalled by actual pedestrians really .....
 
Good Morning, update on DL. I went to an independent optician in Aberdeen and had my eye test again, I passed. Optician sent results and letter to DVLA. I received forms from DVLA which I duly filled out and sent back. I called about 6 weeks after submission and was told that everything was OK, which I assumed meant that new licence was about to be issued.....

Just got back from holiday at the weekend and found a letter from DVLA asking me to go to Specsavers for another eye test because I had reapplied for my DL! Just off the phone to them explaining that my independent eye test was good and it met their criteria but no good, got to go back to Specsavers. I've told them that I'm not prepared to go to Specsavers (right or wrong).

What can I do, I've done all they asked and now I'm back at square one.
 
Pointless arguing with them. If you aren't prepared to go back to Specsavers, you won't get your licence back. You say you've done all they asked, so do this. You will get nowhere arguing with them further. They don't do discussion.
 
andy campbell said:
🙂🙂Newbie here.
I'm 55 and have been diabetic since the age of 7. I have just had my license revoked after my DVLA check up at Spec Savers, totally shell shocked. I'm self employed and need car to get to work and as I live out in the country this is proving very difficult.
I've had laser treatment to both eyes, last treatment was about 14 years ago and eyes have been OK since. Just so happens had my diabetic eye check up the week after revocation, explained to consultant what had happened, he checked my eyes and he said that there had been no change to my eyes since last visit 6 months ago.
So, I want to appeal this decision and have started to look at getting further tests carried out independent opticians, is this a non starter? Will letter/reports from consultants and GP help, (I've read that DVLA will not accept this kind of "argument"). Lots of arguments here, why can someone drive with one eye and not someone with reduced peripheral vision. When driving you do not look straight ahead, you are constantly looking around, looking left and right to check the road. I saw an optician Saturday past, I asked about "one eyed" drivers and asked how they manage, he said they turn their head to see what is coming!! So why can we not have the same
"treatment" when it comes to driving, it makes no sense.
What can be done?? Eye sight is perfect bar this small anomaly🙂
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Sorry to hear your news Andy. Just to let you know, I have also had my licence revoked and whenever I've had contact with the DVLA they have been the absolute pits in my opinion. With regards to you sending a report from your GP or consultant, I've sent 2 in, that I also had to pay £60 each for and both of them had no influence at all. By all means try and see for yourself, you might have better luck given our situations and reasons for revocation are different. I hate to put a downer on an already frustrating situation but, In my opinion, going from my own personal experience dealing with them, They are not worth a carrot. They have no sympathy whatsoever and don't care about people's livelihoods (just a number mate). Strict, is an understatement.

Good luck with your appeal.
 
andy campbell said:
Good Morning, update on DL. I went to an independent optician in Aberdeen and had my eye test again, I passed. Optician sent results and letter to DVLA. I received forms from DVLA which I duly filled out and sent back. I called about 6 weeks after submission and was told that everything was OK, which I assumed meant that new licence was about to be issued.....

Just got back from holiday at the weekend and found a letter from DVLA asking me to go to Specsavers for another eye test because I had reapplied for my DL! Just off the phone to them explaining that my independent eye test was good and it met their criteria but no good, got to go back to Specsavers. I've told them that I'm not prepared to go to Specsavers (right or wrong).

What can I do, I've done all they asked and now I'm back at square one.
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I had also sent the DVLA everything they asked for and received a letter stating the information I had sent them wasn't enough. I asked them to be specific as to what was required, to which they sent me a list of requirements. The requirements they were asking for was what I'd already previously sent them. I sent them the same information again with updated records of my BM's and copied the list of requirements letter they sent me stating what they wanted. The response nearly pushed me over the edge. They simply and calmly informed me that what I sent in wasn't enough, before repeating what was on the list of requirements to me after I asked. I've given up, I'm that stressed. Round and round in circles.
I really hope you have a better outcome and experience than I've had.

Good luck.
 
Absolute joke that, and I'm sorry you are having to put up with it. Ive had and im still having trouble with the DVLA myself.
Don't expect anything to be done quickly.
Don't expect anybody who works there to provide any sort of information that will help you.
Don't expect anybody who works there to care about there decision to revoke your licence and what impact it will have on your life.
Something needs to be done about just how harsh and unreasonable some of the decision that the DVLA make are. The way the DVLA treat people with diabetes is borderline discrimination in my opinion.
One eyed people can drive without any issues, people without diabetes suffer low blood sugars, medical professionals are treated like gods instead of human beings with regards to making mistakes and not all RTC's are caused by people with diabetes. I've never had a any sort of car incident due to having diabetes in all the years of driving, yet decisions are being made on, what if's, buts and maybe instead of actual facts. I can't speak for everyone but what I can say is WE as diabetics shouldn't all be tarred with the same brush.

Hope you sort things out. Good luck.
 
They use Specsavers because they are cheap - and you know what they say about peanuts and monkeys. I think it is discusting that you cannot go to a reputable opticians of your own choice. The Specsavers we are sent to here is very difficult to get to. Expensive parking, then a distance to walk and then up stairs. Someone who has mobility issues would find it impossible to get to.
 
The DVLA require their tests to be carried out on particular machines. This is essential to obtain consistency, so they have to use a national company like Specsavers, all of which have the same up to date kit. A private optician may not have the same equipment- or, indeed, equipment made this century.

It’s nothing to do with them being cheap. Nor is it anything to do with paying peanuts. The machine isn’t paid, and would work the same whoever switched it on.

If you don’t like the system, tough. That’s the way it is. If you don’t like it, give up driving. Or break the law.
 
I freely admit it's been several years since I had a 'field' test. Since then I've had cataracts corrected in both eyes and been signed off as absolutely fine to drive again totally without repeating the test. Current licence expires in 2021. Be interesting to see if DVLA ask for anything more than the standard eye test then as I'll be 71 by that time, but Pete's current licence was issued for the full 3 years in January 2018 with just the standard eye test done by Drs on Wheels, even though he retained his C1 so we thought it might be less than the standard 3.
 
mikeyB said:
The DVLA require their tests to be carried out on particular machines. This is essential to obtain consistency, so they have to use a national company like Specsavers, all of which have the same up to date kit. A private optician may not have the same equipment- or, indeed, equipment made this century.

It’s nothing to do with them being cheap. Nor is it anything to do with paying peanuts. The machine isn’t paid, and would work the same whoever switched it on.

If you don’t like the system, tough. That’s the way it is. If you don’t like it, give up driving. Or break the law.
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A machine (however up to date) is only as good as the person operating it and they may have the same equipment nationally but not necessarily the same competence of technician. If Which Magazine surveys are anything to go by, small independent opticians won hands down. If people are not happy with certain aspects of how they are treated or their competence, why not in all aspects. It is a good thing there are people who do not have the attitude of accept things as they are even if you don't like them, or we would still be living in the dark ages.
 
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Specsavers were perfectly happy to not bother to put 'prism' into my glasses - despite claiming to have checked with my previous optician - I started clipping curbs as my brain could not cope with the double image and simply ignored what I saw out of my left eye - I would not trust Specsavers ever again and would be very dubious about anything they did. My present opticians checked my glasses several times as they could not believe that had been done on all three pairs of glasses.
 
There are quite a few adverse comments about Specsavers' field of vision tests on a Glaucoma forum.

I believe there is more than one approved test machine but that not all branches have an approved one.
 
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