Coroner calls for rule changes on elderly drivers after series of fatal crashes
Four people were killed by people who were told not to drive due to their failing vision.
A coroner in Lancashire has called for a series of changes to making sure people are fit to drive.
The landmark inquest looked into the deaths of four people, who were all killed by drivers who carried on getting behind the wheel despite being told not to do so by health professionals, due to their failing vision.
The coroner - Dr James Adeley - has issued a regulation 28 notice - also known as a Prevention of Future Deaths (PFD) report.
They are issued by a coroner after an inquest or investigation into a death when they believe that action should be taken to prevent similar deaths in the future.
In November 2021 friends Marie Cunningham, 79, and Grace Foulds, 85, were hit by driver Glyn Jones, 67, when crossing Lulworth Road in Southport.
They both suffered catastrophic injuries and died in hospital later the same day.
Jones was jailed for seven years and four months last year.
Peter Westwell, 80, was killed by driver Neil Pemberton, 81, when crossing a road in Billington, in March 2022.
He could only read a registration plate at a distance of 8ft when the legal requirement is 66ft
Pemberton was jailed for two years and eight months at Preston Crown Court in December 2023.
Anne Ferguson, 75, was killed in July 2023 when hit by a van driven by Vernon Law, 72, in Whitworth.
It was only around a month after Law had been told by opticians that he had cataracts in both eyes, describing his condition as the most extreme they had seen in 23 years of practice, and he had been referred for surgery.
When asked if he was a driver, Law had told the optometrist that he was not.
Mrs Ferguson had been the carer for her husband of 53 years, David, who relied on her due to mobility issues, speech loss, and sight loss.
He had to move into a care home following his wife's death, and took his own life soon after.
Law was jailed for a total of four years and disqualified from driving for the rest of his life.
The nine day inquest heard evidence from Commander Kyle Gordon, from the National Police Chief's Council, who said they would fully support mandatory eyesight tests if they were put in place.
According to their figures in 2024, 56% of optometrists said in a previous month they'd seen one person fall below the legal standard but continue to drive.
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