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Accidents and personal safety
OpinionLetters

Letters | Eyesight tests for Hong Kong drivers seriously need to be updated

Readers discuss comprehensive vision exams for Hong Kong drivers, Donald Trump’s diversionary tactics, and a 13-year-old’s death in Malaysia

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Taxis and other vehicles drive along a waterlogged Gloucester Road in Wan Chai district on August 5. Hong Kong currently requires drivers “to read at a distance of 23m in good daylight a vehicle number plate”. Photo: AFP
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It is tragic that it took a fatal accident involving an 80-year-old driver to get to this point. However, I am glad that the government is finally returning to the proposal to tighten drivers’ physical fitness requirements.

With reference to the Post’s coverage of the matter, I would like to address two points.

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Firstly, stakeholders representing drivers are calling for health checks to be subsidised, especially since they cost HK$7,000 (US$892) to HK$8,000. Other than giving straightforward subsidies, I believe the government can explore letting drivers use their Elderly Health Care Vouchers. Another possibility is hosting the checks at District Health Centres, which are already subsidised. As Alice Wu said on August 11, “Whoever foots the bill, medical checks are a must... What is HK$8,000 compared with the value of a human life?”
Secondly, stricter vision requirements for drivers mean that comprehensive vision exams should be included in health checks. At the risk of repeating what I said last year, it is still not too late for the government to engage optometrists in updating vision tests for drivers.
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Comprehensive vision exams do not only measure visual acuity and visual field. Instead, as primary care practitioners for the eye, optometrists are trained to detect and diagnose both ocular and systemic diseases. Ocular diseases are related to the eye, such as glaucoma, cataracts, and age-related macular degeneration. Systemic diseases include general conditions that present as symptoms in the eye, such as diabetes and high blood pressure. All of these conditions affect drivers’ vision and overall health significantly.

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