Three police forces in England have begun a crackdown on drivers with poor vision in order to improve road safety.
Drivers who fail to read a number plate from 20m away will have their licences rescinded and police say data collected from the tests will be used to improve the understanding surrounding poor driver vision.
Thames Valley, Hampshire and West Midlands police are the three forces taking part. They are being supported by Vision Express and the road safety charity Brake, who are calling for compulsory tests when renewing a licence and stricter driver vision laws.
At present, drivers are only required to undergo a mandatory eye exam during their practical driving test, when they must prove they can read a number plate from 20m. After obtaining their licence, it is their responsibility to inform the DVLA if they have vision problems.
Police can request the revocation of a licence through the DVLA if they believe poor vision of a driver poses a risk to others on the road.
Jonathan Lawson, chief executive of Vision Express, said there was public support for more rigorous checks as ‘75% want a recent eye test to be mandatory when renewing a driving licence’.
Sgt Rob Heard, who represents the three forces taking part, told the BBC: ‘Not being able to see a hazard or react to a situation quickly enough can have catastrophic consequences.’
He added that officers would be carrying out checks ‘at every opportunity’, meaning anyone stopped by police on the road will be subject to testing.