More than 1.2m English drivers may have eyesight too poor for the road, study finds

Roadside checks found dozens of motorists unable to read a number plate from the legal distance – with two-thirds of those who failed not wearing the glasses they needed to drive

More than 1.2 million motorists in England could be driving with eyesight below the legal standard, according to a major roadside study.

Police forces across England, Scotland and Wales carried out eyesight checks on 3,778 drivers, asking them to read a number plate from the legally required distance of 20 metres.

The failure rate was 2.6 per cent in England, which researchers calculated would equate to more than 1.2 million English licence holders if reflected across the wider driving population. Scotland recorded a 3.2 per cent failure rate and Wales 0.5 per cent.

Overall, 59 drivers failed the roadside sight test outright and 105 received eyesight-related advice.

Some 1.3 per cent of those tested had their licence revoked, including 23 whose licences were withdrawn immediately.

Two-thirds of drivers who failed were not wearing glasses they needed for driving when police stopped them.

One motorist reported for an eyesight offence could read a number plate only from 7.4 metres – less than half the legal distance – before subsequently passing the test when wearing the glasses they should have had on.

And almost a third of motorists surveyed, 31.5 per cent, said they had not had an eye examination in the previous two years. Among those who failed the number plate test, that rose to 42 per cent.

Older drivers recorded especially high failure rates, with 7.3 per cent of those aged over 80 unable to pass the roadside screening.

UK drivers must be able to read a modern number plate from 20 metres in good daylight, using glasses or contact lenses if necessary. They must also have visual acuity of at least 6/12 on the Snellen scale and an adequate field of vision.

Dr Carol Hawley, of Warwick Medical School, who analysed the data, said: “While most drivers passed, 105 required eyesight-related advice, and 59 drivers failed outright.

“Some of those who failed the number plate test avoided a driving ban only because they had corrective glasses available to pass a second attempt.”

The study was conducted by the University of Warwick, Older Drivers Forum and Eye Health UK.

David Cartwright, optometrist and chair of Eye Health UK, warned that even relatively small changes in vision could affect reaction times and a driver’s ability to spot hazards.

He added: “Having regular eye tests, every two years or sooner if you notice a change in your vision is essential to keep you and other road users safe.”

READ MORE: Stranded drivers could soon call for help even with no mobile signal. Toyota has tested technology that sends spoken messages through satellites when ordinary mobile coverage disappears, potentially allowing motorists to seek help from remote roads and other blackspots.

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_{Main image: A major roadside study found that some motorists are driving with eyesight below the legal standard, with two-thirds of those who failed not wearing the glasses they needed. Credit: Levent Simsek / Pexels}