THE EYESIGHT TEST.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 4, 6 January 1931, Page 15

THE EYESIGHT TEST.

MALCOLM CAMPBELL'S VIEW.

SENSE OF JUDGMENT

'CLARITY OF VISION VARIES."

Writing a special article on Britain's new Motoring Bill for "The 1< ield, Gaptain Malcolm Campbell, the well-known racing driver, has a deal to say about the eyesight test. He writes: "Of the various clauses of the 'new bill the one which seems to be causing most consternation among motorists is that applying to the eyesight test. We must all be agreed that the practice, in the past, of granting driving licenses to anyone who put in an application, no matter whether the would-be driver was deaf, dumb or blind,, was little short of a joke. The general impression at'the present time, however, is that the tightening np of these regulations so drastically is, on the face of it, a little too se\eie. "The sooner really unfit people are debarred from obtaining a driving license the better, but, all the same, I should imagine that there must be hundreds of motorists driving about on our roads today who would be quite unable to read the letters and figures on a number j plate clearly at a distance of 35 yards. Yet, in all 'probability, they have been driving cars for years and have never had an accident. I have tried the test myself and find that with a clean number plate I can easily distinguish the numerals and letters at the required distance. In fact, so far as I personally am concerned, I can do this at a greater distance than that stipulated. I fully appreciate, however, that a great many people whose eyesight is not as good as mine will be unable to pass this test. Sense of Judgment Important. "As far as I can make out there are two important factors regarding one's eyesight. The one is clear vision and the other is judgment of distance, which latter is a question, I believe, of muscular control of the eyes. It is quite possible, therefore, for a motorist to he able to read numbers or letters at a dista'nee, but he may have such bad muscular control that his judgment is extremely defective, and I should have thought that it was much more important to possess good judgment than to be long sighted. "Provided the motorist can plainly define objects ahead, even if he is unable to distinguish the inscription on a number plate, and provided he has a perfect sense of judgment, surely this man should be entitled to he the holder of a driving licence especially if he has had a clean record in the past? "As the obligation is placed on the applicant for a licence —since he has to sign a declaration as to his physical fitness which may place him in a very awkward position at a later date—it seems to me that it would have been better if Mr. Morrison had taken the bull by the horns and made it compulsory for all drivers of motor cars to pass a satisfactory test in driving before a licence was handed over. "The question of eyesight could then be determined at the same time and a doctor's certificate furnished to the department stating that the applicant was,' in the opinion of the medical adviser, in a sufficiently" fit state of health to handle a car. "It is a well-known fact that clarity of vision varies according to the condition of one's health, and, for this . reason particularly, I dislike this decision to place the o'nus on the applicant. This portion of the bill will, as far as I can judge, lead to a great deal of trouble in the future." ,