Don't forget if you're going to an optician to look for one that doesn't just check your vision . If there's a history of Glaucoma in the family get an eye pressure test ( you also get free tests ) .I also get yearly eye tests for retina problems( diabetic) ( so I also get a chance to test my long sight ) and get my retina photographed -some high street opticians also do this .One test that has now started to be introduced is a field of vision test - a necessity for drivers - basically checks what angle you can see objects at ( like the car sitting outside you on a DC,WHILST YOUR LOOKING AHEAD-or simply noticing something in your wing mirrors, when looking ahead ) .
( Also called peripheral vision ,I believe)
The problem I've got with the whole eyesight thing is that whilst there's a requirement to be able to read a numberplate at a set distance , there's no requirement to see a car coming toward you in a narrow street ( back to COAST ,I'm AFRAID ) and the ability to look out for how to best amicably to sort out the problem .Then again ,I've noticed ,with regularity , that those drivers that cannot see a car at less than the numberplate reading distance also have a basic failure to know how to reverse safely ( until one comments that perhaps that the police should be asked to attend to check on their licence

).