Survey finds 8% of Malaysian drivers have bad eyesight

Star: EIGHT of every 100 Malaysian drivers suffer from poor vision, which contributes to the increasing number of road accidents, especially during the festive season.
This was one of the findings of a recent survey by the optometry department of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Road Transport Department, Road Safety Department and the Malaysian Opticians Association, according to a report in Utusan Malaysia.
The survey, involving 4,000 respondents, deduced that 8% or 800,000 of 10 million registered drivers did not have good driving vision.
UKM optometry department head Dr Haliza Abdul Mutalib said one of the requirements for driving licence holders was to have a vision level of at least 6/10 on the Snellen Chart.
Dr Haliza claimed that the present JPJ computerised vision-checking system for new drivers allowed even nearly blind people to pass.
“Many drivers are seen stopping by the roadside during heavy rain, and this is not because their vehicle wipers are not working well,” she was quoted in the report as saying.
“Other drivers are able to drive along without trouble in similar conditions.”
She urged drivers, especially those wearing glasses, to attend eye tests from time to time.