Do not drive to test eyesight, police warn

SENIOR police officers last night warned of the dangers of driving with impaired vision after Dominic Cummings said he had taken a 60-mile round trip to test if he was fit to be behind the wheel.

The Prime Minister’s most senior aide claimed he had driven from his parents’ home in Durham to Barnard Castle on Easter Sunday, to check if his eyesight had been damaged after falling ill with suspected coronavirus.

But last night, roads policing officers said it was not wise to get into your car if you feared your vision was impaired.

John Apter, the chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said: “Folks, I say this in all sincerity and as an important road safety issue.

“If you’re feeling unwell and your eyesight may be impaired, do not drive your vehicle to test your ability to drive. It’s not a wise move.

“As a former road death investigator with Hampshire Police, I have investigated many serious collisions, including fatalities.

“Some of these were caused by drivers with impaired vision, this is a serious issue. Do not drive if your eyesight is impaired or you feel unwell.”

Surrey Police’s roads unit echoed the comments, saying: “A driver’s vision is very important.

“If you have any concerns about your eyesight, don’t drive until you have sought the advice of a qualified optician. A driver must be able to read a standard number plate from 20 metres.”

Mr Cummings said he had decided to undertake the test drive with his wife and four-year-old child to make sure he was fit to drive the 260 miles back to London from Durham.

He said: “On Sunday April 12, 15 days after I first displayed symptoms, I decided to return to work.

“My wife was very worried, particularly given my eyesight had seemed to have been affected by the disease.

“She’s not one to risk a nearly 300mile drive with our child given how ill I had been. We agreed we should go for a short drive to see if I could drive safely.”