Random Eye Tests

Hurrah, I'd like to see more of this:
url:http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/wales/south_east/5277958.stm

I was struck by the comment that:
"in Gwent last year there were 47 deaths and the police consider only
three of those to be related to speed - the rest is driver error."

How is speed not driver error, then?

--
Danny Colyer URL:http://www.colyer.plus.com/danny/
"He who dares not offend cannot be honest." - Thomas Paine

"Danny Colyer" wrote in message
...
Hurrah, I'd like to see more of this:
url:http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/wales/south_east/5277958.stm


Lo-res.... how quaint.

Hi-res version a bit difficult to see?? ;-)

joking aside, what a good idea. How on earth can anyone who can't pass the
sight requirement not be aware of things being a little difficult? It's
either a terminal lack of self- awareness, laziness, vanity or meanness in
the extreme (for they must either not know they need (new) glasses, not be
arsed to so anything about it, think they'd ruin their good looks, or not
value their life sufficiently).

After a period of awareness raising, bring on the prosecutions.

"Budstaff" wrote in message
...

"Danny Colyer" wrote in message
...
Hurrah, I'd like to see more of this:
url:http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/wales/south_east/5277958.stm


Lo-res.... how quaint.

Hi-res version a bit difficult to see?? ;-)

joking aside, what a good idea. How on earth can anyone who can't pass
the sight requirement not be aware of things being a little difficult?
It's either a terminal lack of self- awareness, laziness, vanity or
meanness in the extreme (for they must either not know they need (new)
glasses, not be arsed to so anything about it, think they'd ruin their
good looks, or not value their life sufficiently).

After a period of awareness raising, bring on the prosecutions.

I am sure that many people do not realise how their eyesight changes.
In older folk it can happen unexpectedly -- well the changes take place
slowly but the perception is only noticed after a lapse of time!

This year during my long tour I suddenly realised that I could see better
( long distance) without my bifocals than with them. I knew I was due for my
annual eye test in August and I realised that my eye sight had undergone a
real change.
So I am wearing a new set of drastically different "specs" now with a
second pair specifically for cycling with "reactolite" lenses.

Bu the decision point isn't cut and dried. And it applies to cyclists as
well as motorists!

--
Trevor A Panther
In South Yorkshire,
England, United Kingdom.
www.tapan.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk

Budstaff wrote:

joking aside, what a good idea. How on earth can anyone who can't pass the
sight requirement not be aware of things being a little difficult? It's
either a terminal lack of self- awareness, laziness, vanity or
meanness in
the extreme ...

or the other option: folk who don't need glasses generally have no idea
what those of us with glasses can see. Don't lump me in with the
self-denying blind bats or I'll start on you for red-light-jumping and
pavement-granny-bothering.

I am borderline for the driving test without glasses. Without my glasses
I have trouble with teletext from 15', or small town names on dual
carriageway signs until its nearly too late to respond. And thats it. I
can see how a white football is spinning 30 yards away, use my serious
camera, be a SCUBA instructor, work all day at a computer etc.

Friends try my glasses & come away with head spinning assuming I can't
see (because my prescription is mostly astigmas, i.e. localised
deformations of the eyeball), but I've had 210,000 hours of practise.

I can drive without glasses if needed, though I'd rather have them (and
my ABS), especially at night.

After a period of awareness raising, bring on the prosecutions.

agree with this bit though.

Danny Colyer wrote:

Hurrah, I'd like to see more of this:
url:http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/wales/south_east/5277958.stm

No excuse for SMIDSY!

I was struck by the comment that:
"in Gwent last year there were 47 deaths and the police consider only
three of those to be related to speed - the rest is driver error."

How is speed not driver error, then?

Excessive speed for the situation clearly _is_ driver error - I guess
their point is that most accidents are caused by mistakes other than
going too fast.

I don't like the statement either. If you're going to separate out
speeding, which is a very clear example of driver error, it seems
wrong to lump everything else together, which could include driving
while drunk - a very different type of error.

--
Stevie D
\\\\\ ///// Bringing dating agencies to the
\\\\\\\__X__/////// common hedgehog since 2001 - "HedgeHugs"
___\\\\\\\'/ \'///////_____________________________________________

Excessive speed for the situation clearly _is_ driver error - I guess
their point is that most accidents are caused by mistakes other than
going too fast.

Of course if you are going fast enough to have a serious accident when
you make an error then speed is part of the problem at least.It is
always a factor in an an accident, except those where parked cars are
hit by meteors.
Perhaps they mean that there were 4 cases in which they could not avoid
noting that there was proof or admission of speeding over the limit.
Sounds like there may be a culture of speed excusers in that in that
force.Or the doctor is quoting selectively in order to mislead.That
could never happen could it?
TerryJ

Budstaff wrote:
How on earth can anyone who can't
pass the sight requirement not be aware of things being a little
difficult?

You'd be amazed.y son was born with retinal colobomas, which means he has
large blindspots in both eyes (in photos he has 'white eye' rather than 'red
eye' as there are no light-sensitive cells in the colobomas). But you'd
never guess from watching him. It's amazing what the brain can do with very
little information.

So perhaps it's not surprising that people whose vision is deteriorating
don't always notice straight away.

"Simon Bennett" typed


Budstaff wrote:
How on earth can anyone who can't
pass the sight requirement not be aware of things being a little
difficult?

You'd be amazed.y son was born with retinal colobomas, which means he has
large blindspots in both eyes (in photos he has 'white eye' rather
than 'red
eye' as there are no light-sensitive cells in the colobomas). But you'd
never guess from watching him. It's amazing what the brain can do with very
little information.

So perhaps it's not surprising that people whose vision is deteriorating
don't always notice straight away.


Indeed. There's a difference between vision and perception and the
ability to notice a cyclist at 10 metres may relate rather poorly to the
ability to read a number plate at 25 metres.

I should imagine your son may have some difficulty with the printed page
but seems like any other lad on the football field.

--
Helen D. Vecht:
Edgware.

Danny Colyer wrote:
Hurrah, I'd like to see more of this:
url:http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/wales/south_east/5277958.stm

I was struck by the comment that:
"in Gwent last year there were 47 deaths and the police consider only
three of those to be related to speed - the rest is driver error."

How is speed not driver error, then?

--
Danny Colyer URL:http://www.colyer.plus.com/danny/
"He who dares not offend cannot be honest." - Thomas Paine

May because the police see speeding as a deliberate act as opposed to
an actual error of judgment. And therefore treat speeding as an act of
possible criminal intent and not an accident.

HA!

Made myself laugh.

Laters,

Marz

wrote:

Of course if you are going fast enough to have a serious accident when
you make an error then speed is part of the problem at least.It is
always a factor in an an accident, except those where parked cars are
hit by meteors.

There are plenty of accidents that can't be attributed to speed. Yes,
the car has a speed, a non-negative velocity, but this is not a causal
factor in the accident.

eg - pulling out in front of another vehicle when it is too close.
eg - veering off course, due to distraction or inattention
eg - misjudging the size of your car in a tight spot
eg - failing to brake early or hard enough
eg - overtaking with insufficient room or visibility

In none of these cases would the driver be going too fast for the
conditions - so you can't attribute the accident to speed.

--
Stevie D
\\\\\ ///// Bringing dating agencies to the
\\\\\\\__X__/////// common hedgehog since 2001 - "HedgeHugs"
___\\\\\\\'/ \'///////_____________________________________________