I have to say that our new Group Meeting venue, Lostock Parish Centre, seems to be quite popular as numbers attending have been consistently slightly higher than at Dobbies. I thank everyone for supporting the change in such an enthusiastic manner – long may it continue.
Last month I closed on news articles following Coroners Reports on deaths caused by drivers with poor eyesight. The debate has continued regarding self certification for those over 70 years of age – or with compulsory eyesight tests. But even with eyesight tests, how would you deal with the tragic set of events below?
On the day of his death in 2022, a Mr Westwell left home dressed in a bright red jacket for a walk on a clear day. As he crossed Whalley Road he was struck by a Mr Pemberton travelling in his Honda Jazz at 48mph in a 30mph limit and was thrown into the air and tragically died from spinal column and chest injuries.
However, in March 2013 Neil Pemberton was told by a consultant ophthalmologist at Royal Blackburn Hospital that he should not drive and this was recorded in the medical records. Six months later a specialist registrar in ophthalmology recorded telling him not to drive due to sight deficit in both eyes, although Pemberton told the medical professional he was not driving anyway.
Pemberton failed eyesight tests at a routine optician's appointment in March 2016 but again stated he was a non-driver. He went on to self-certify that his eyesight was sufficient for him to drive in licence applications to the DVLA in 2011, 2014, 2017 and 2020. An expert optometrist told the inquest that Pemberton's vision was "extremely poor" to the extent that it was "not far off the level required to be registered blind". Police told the inquest that if Mr Pemberton had been able to see Mr Westwell, even at the speed he was travelling, the collision would have been avoided by braking and steering.
Giving evidence at the inquest, Pemberton also claimed he had never misrepresented his sight difficulties to the DVLA and that he had never been informed by a medical professional that he was unfit to drive. He also said he was only travelling at 30mph at the time of the collision.
Mr Pemberton even told Dr James Adeley, senior coroner for Lancashire, that Mr Westwell had caused the collision by suddenly appearing in the road. Pemberton also claimed he had no eyesight problems.
Neil Pemberton, 81, was jailed for 32 months after causing the death of pedestrian Peter Westwell, 80, in Langho, east Lancashire.
How would any legislation deal with someone who had been told several times not to drive, but then falsified his licence applications to the DLVLA? The answer is that the eyesight test results should be reportable direct to the DVLA (along with any other reportable health conditions). But the question then remains - would Mr Pemberton have carried on driving without a licence? I think he probably would given his attitude.
My own eyesight required correction from my mid 20’s, I first realised my eyes needed testing when I couldn’t read road signs at a good enough distance away!!!
Roy Sammons