Home UK Drivers must pass on-the-spot eye test or lose licence

Drivers must pass on-the-spot eye test or lose licence

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Police have launched a crackdown on drivers with poor vision to address road safety concerns.

Motorists pulled over by police officers during September will be tested to see if they can read a number plate from 20 metres (65 feet).

Drivers who fail to show that they can pass the test will have their driving licences immediately rescinded.

Thames Valley, Hampshire and the West Midlands forces will be running the crackdown, supported by the road safety charity Brake and opticians firm Vision Express.

Image: Police are launching a crackdown on visually impaired drivers

It comes after Surrey police posted dash-cam footage of a near-miss on Sunday.

An 87-year-old driver from Woking failed an eye test after narrowly missing a police car when he turned the wrong way onto a main road.

The man voluntarily surrendered his driving licence after failing a roadside eye test.

Police said he could only read a number plate from just 7.3m (24ft) away. Drivers are legally required to be able to read a registration plate from a distance of 20.5m (around 67ft).

All drivers must be able to read a number plate from a distance of 20.5 mts. This was the moment the driver got the entire registration correct and the officers noted the distance of 7.3 mts as part of their evidence. pic.twitter.com/zk6kBZEAp1

— RPU – Surrey Police (@SurreyRoadCops) September 2, 2018

Sergeant Rob Heard said: "Not being able to see a hazard or react to a situation quickly enough can have catastrophic consequences."

Road police officers will be carrying out the checks on drivers' vision "at every opportunity", said Sgt Heard.

Police are currently able to request an urgent license revocation through the DVLA is they believe it is unsafe for a driver to remain on the road.

The power, known as Cassie's Law, was introduced in 2013 when a 16-year-old boy called Cassie McCord was killed after being struck by an 87-year-old man in Colchester, Essex.

CHESHIRE, CT - JUNE 24: Jason Quint, a medical student, holds up an eye exam for a patient in a garage at a flower nursery serving as a healthcare clinic for migrant farm workers on June 24, 2010 in Cheshire, Connecticut. The University of Connecticut Migrant Farm Worker Clinics visits area farms and nurseries from June to October offering health screenings and preventive health education for migrant farm workers and their families. Partnered with the Connecticut Area Health Education Centers (C
Image: Research has suggested 35% of optometrists have seen patients who should not drive

As part of the investigation into Cassie's death, it emerged that the driver had failed a police eyesight test days earlier but was able to continue driving due to a legal loophole.

The police forces' partners are calling for a recent eye test to be a requirement when licenses are renewed every 10 years.

The law currently only requires an eye test during the practical drivers' test, when learners must read a plate from 20 metres.

Joshua Harris, the director of campaigns for Brake, said: "It is frankly madness that there is no mandatory requirement on drivers to have an eye test throughout the course of their driving life.

"Only by introducing rigorous and professional eye tests can we fully tackle the problem of unsafe drivers on our roads."

LONDON - FEBRUARY 22: A Police officer surveys a road as part of a drive to inform motorists vof the risk of using a phone whilst driving on February 22, 2007 in London, England. New research has proved driving while on the telephone is stastically more dangerous than drink driving. The new law, which comes in effect at 00: 01 February 27, 2007, will result in a GBP60 fine and three points being added to the offenders' licence. (Photo by Bruno Vincent/Getty Images)
Image: Police are launching a crackdown on visually impaired drivers

Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, said: "The human cost of driving with failing eyesight and having an accident can be immeasurable.

"Drivers mustn't just keep their eyes on the road, they must ensure they can see what's ahead."

The Association of Optometrists published research last year which found that more than a third (35%) of optometrists saw patients in the previous month who continued to drive despite being told their vision was below the legal standard.

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A 2012 study by insurance firm RSA estimated that poor vision caused 2,874 casualties in a year.

Jonathan Lawson, Vision Express' chief executive, said: "We believe official Government statistics on the impact of poor sight on road safety are the tip of the iceberg and we know the public feel the same as we do about tackling poor driver vision."

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