Car Insurance. Bad Eyesight Threatens Your Insurance Cover.
If by chance you’re in an accident and it was found out that you failed to keep due diligence and your car roadworthy, for instance excessively worn out tires, and that it was a direct contributory factor in an accident, in most cases, your insurer will in any way refuse to pay up. And the police may also show an interest too! Quite reasonable most of you will definitely say. But what if it’s you that’s un-roadworthy? That’s why Online Car Insurance is very essential.
How many driving accidents are accompanied by some comments like ‘I did not see the otehr vehicle’? And what transpires if the proble was your very poor eyesight? Has it deteriorated to a dangerous extent?
Well all of us clearly know that once we have poor eyesight and there are opticians to assist on every high street. Remember, if you need contact lenses or glasses for driving then you must wear them and if your eyesight deteriorates you should get a new prescription. It is the sole and legal responsibility of all drivers to ensure that they are safe and fit to drive.
Only a few weeks back i drew up alongside an elderly driver who was clearly having trouble reading the junction signs. He was leaning forward trying to decipher signs indicated across Leeds and rolling forward at 10mph - all this at traffic lights that by this moment turned red- and he clearly he failed to see all those! He was just too lucky that the cars approaching from the right side saw him beforehand. I am not quite sure he saw them as well!
The law is quite stringent and crystal clear- it states that any driving license holder who fails to meet the minimum level of eyesight must be precluded from driving. Similarly, they are mandated to surrender their driver’s license. So, this is exactly when online car insurance comes into play.
The eyesight test for drivers’ states that you must be able to read a number plate containing letters and figures 50 mm wide and 79mm high (that’s a legal number plate) from a distance of 20 meters. But then again you can use your driving glasses.
This being said, there’s no legal obligation for you to have a regular eye examination but you are required to tell the DVLA if you may have in some occasion developed any medical problem that may have a direct bearing on your fitenss to drive. If you fail to disclose to them, that’s a criminal offense.
In most American states drivers have to take an eye examination once every 5 years but not in the United Kingdom. Here, a septuagenarian motorist must complete a medical form once every 3 years to confirm his fitness to drive and the definition of ‘fitness’ includes eyesight. If theses drivers fail to send in their medical form, they lose their driving licence. (I was wondering what that elderly gentleman at the traffic lights muttered on his?)
On the insurance front, if you are involved in an accident where your defective eyesight was a contributory factor, your insurance company may well argue that you were negligent and refuse to pay out. This could simply be due to the needed eyeglasses to drive but were not wearing them at the time he’s driving.
So drive carefully, and keep your eyes peeled – elderly gentleman in Leeds please take note!
Learn more and get your Online Car Insurance Quotes today.
