Overview

• Christopher Biggins, 76, says the DVLA told him he failed an eyesight assessment required for licence renewal and that he will not get his licence back.
• He obtained further opinions from a Homerton Hospital doctor and a separate optician and submitted their letters, but the DVLA said the evidence did not show he met driving vision standards.
• Biggins says the decision has left him depressed and facing high taxi costs, and he questions why corroborating medical views were disregarded.
• The DVLA declined to discuss the individual case and reiterated that all motorists must meet minimum eyesight thresholds, assessed by measures such as visual field and acuity.
• The case is being reported alongside proposals to require triennial eye tests for drivers over 70, part of a government road safety plan expected in the autumn following scrutiny of eyesight-related crashes.