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A major UK roadside vision screening survey has revealed concerning statistics about the number of motorists driving without meeting legal eyesight standards. The study, the largest of its kind in the UK, highlights a pressing issue for road safety.
Police Forces across England and Wales conducted number plate tests on 3,010 motorists.
1.7% failed the number plate test – the equivalent of 720,642 motorists.
3.2% of all drivers stopped were issued police warnings or had their licence revoked.
1.4% of all drivers stopped had their driving licence revoked.
Thirty-eight revocations were immediate (on the spot), and six were pending, awaiting action from DVLA.
40% of motorists had not had a sight test in the last two years, as recommended.
One third of drivers had been prescribed corrective lenses for driving.
Half of drivers who failed the roadside sight test were not wearing their required glasses when stopped by police.
The roadside test failure rate was highest amongst older drivers. 10.2% of 81 to 90-year-olds failed.
The number plate test is the most basic requirement of the UK’s legal eyesight standards for driving.
These results are published in a new report, from National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC), University of Warwick, Older Drivers Forum and the charity Eye Health UK, which aims to raise awareness of motorists’ responsibility to ensure their vision meets minimum legal eyesight standards and comes as traffic volumes on Britain’s roads is set to peak during the 2024 festive getaway.
David Cartwright, optometrist and chair of Eye Health UK explains why good vision is essential for safe driving: “90 per cent of information needed for driving is visual. Even a minor reduction in vision can slow reaction times and impair your ability to recognise hazards or judge speed. It can also cause fatigue and affect contrast sensitivity – essential for adjusting to glare and driving in low light conditions. 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.”
Six people lost their lives on UK roads in 2023 and around 3,000 are seriously injured every year due to drivers or riders with uncorrected or defective eyesight.
Terry Cunningham, whose mother and her friend were tragically killed by a motorist with vision so poor he ‘would not have managed to see the steering wheel of his vehicle clearly’, welcomes this new report and hopes raising awareness of motorists’ legal responsibility to ensure their vision is fit to drive will prevent further unnecessary casualties caused by situations where “the car is safe and the driver isn’t“.
Dr Carol Hawley of Warwick Medical School and CARGY Research analysed the roadside vision screening data for the Is Your Vision Roadworthy? report and comments: “Fortunately, the majority of drivers passed the test, but 96 drivers needed eyesight-related advice from officers. A third of all drivers stopped needed corrective glasses or lenses for driving, but worryingly 40% of drivers had not had their eyesight checked for over two years.
“Fifty drivers failed the roadside test and alarmingly 50% of those prescribed glasses for driving were not wearing them when stopped. Some of these avoided a driving ban because they had their glasses in the vehicle and when wearing them passed a second attempt at the test.”
Female drivers were slightly more likely to fail the number plate test than men (1.9%) Vs (1.5%) and failure rates increased with age – 10.2% of 81 to 90-year-olds failed. This is perhaps unsurprising as women have an increased risk of sight loss and our vision naturally declines with age.
Responding to the report Road Safety Consultant and Founder of the Older Drivers Forum, Rob Heard comments: “This report highlights that many people are still taking the risk to drive without knowing they have suitable vision for driving and failing to have an eyesight test every two years. Peoples’ sight deteriorates gradually, often without them being aware and often without them realising their sight may have fallen below the legal limit.
Regular sight tests with an optometrist are an effective way of not only making sure we are safe to drive on the road, but also detecting medical conditions early so they can be treated, potentially extending a person’s driving career.”
Age needn’t be a barrier to staying safe on the roads. Older drivers can help keep their vision roadworthy by having regular routine sight tests (these are free on the NHS for all over 60s); keeping their glasses up-to-date (NHS optical vouchers are available to help with the cost of any prescription eyewear for those on low incomes or pension credits) and driving in good light conditions.
In addition to reading a car number plate from 20 metres (that’s around five car lengths), motorists are also legally required to have visual acuity of at least decimal 0.5 (6/12) measured on the Snellen Scale and have adequate visual fields.
Essential advice for keeping your vision roadworthy:
Have regular sight tests, at least every two years.
Make an appointment at your local opticians right away if you notice any of the following: decreased or blurred vision; trouble with glare (this can be a symptom of conditions such as cataracts or glaucoma, which if left untreated can affect your ability to comply with DVLA regulations) or, dark spots in your central or peripheral vision.
If you’ve been prescribed vision correction for driving – WEAR IT.
Be ‘eye aware’ and consider how well you can see whenever you drive.
Listen to advice given by your eyecare practitioner and act on it. (There are a number of eye conditions that you are required to notify the DVLA or the DVA in Northern Ireland of).
Chief Constable Jo Shiner, NPCC Lead for Roads Policing shares this final piece of advice:
“Personal responsibility is the starting point for safer drivers. Making sure your eyesight meets the standards of vision for driving is really important and something only you can do. If you have any doubts whatsoever about your sight please see an optician, this will keep you and all other road users safe while you are driving.”
For practical advice and information about keeping vision roadworthy as well as information about the legal eyesight standards and eye conditions that need to be notified to the DVLA / DVA visit VisionAndDriving.info
