In focus: How good is your driving vision?

As another winter approaches, drivers’ vision standards in the UK have deteriorated to such an extent that police are resorting to random roadside checks (Optician 07.09.18).

Now research by Sightsavers has revealed 80% of UK drivers legally required to wear glasses or contact lenses failed to do so.

More than a third (35%) of drivers surveyed said they forgot to wear them on most days and over a quarter (27%) forgot every week. In comparison, only a fifth (22%) of people required to wear glasses or contact lenses say they always wear them while driving.

Three police forces in England have been cracking down on drivers with poor vision in order to improve road safety. Thames Valley, Hampshire and West Midlands police have been performing random sight checks on drivers by asking them to read a number plate from 20 metres away, the standard eye sight check that also takes place at the beginning of a practical driving test. If drivers failed this test, then their licences were rescinded on the spot and they were banned from driving. The police forces have said that the data collected from these tests will be used to further improve the understanding surrounding poor driver vision.