Drivers who fail roadside eye tests will have their licences revoked on the spot

MOTORISTS stopped by police will have their licences revoked immediately if they fail a roadside eye test.

The crackdown aims to catch some of the thousands of drivers who get behind the wheel each day despite having defective sight.

Every motorist who is stopped by officers in three pilot areas will have to pass a basic vision test before being allowed to continue driving. If they are unable to read a number plate clearly from a distance of 20m (65.6ft) they will have their licence cancelled on the spot and will not be allowed to continue their journey. As well as removing dangerous drivers from the roads, the scheme will allow police to collect data on the extent of the problem.

The initiative is being rolled out across Thames Valley, Hampshire and the West Midlands, and is being supported by road safety charity Brake.

Sgt Rob Heard, representing the three forces, said: “Not being able to see a hazard or react to a situation quickly enough can have catastrophic consequences.”

He warned that officers would carry out sight checks “at every opportunity” and under new powers could request the immediate withdrawal of a person’s licence from the DVLA.

The power was introduced in 2013 under Cassie’s Law, named after Cassie Mccord, 16, who died when an 87-yearold man lost control of his vehicle in Colchester, Essex. It later emerged he had failed a police sight test days earlier, but a legal loophole meant he was allowed to continue driving.

Last year, a pensioner was jailed for four years after killing a three-year-old girl on a pelican crossing, weeks after

being told his eyesight was too poor for him to get behind the wheel.

John Place, 72, who was not even wearing his glasses, only stopped when he was flagged down by another driver. Three weeks earlier he had been told by two opticians that his eyesight was below the minimum driving standard even when he was wearing glasses.

Under current rules, a learner driver must be able to read a number plate from 20m when they are taking the practical part of their driving test.

But once someone has obtained a licence, it is up to them to assess their own vision and inform the DVLA if they have an eyesight problem.

It is thought at least half of all drivers on British roads are unaware of the minimum eyesight standard required.

Joshua Harris, the Brake campaigns director, 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.”

Research by the Association of Optometrists published last November found that more than a third of patients who had been seen in the previous month had continued to drive despite being told their vision was below the legal standard.

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

Jonathan Lawson, the chief executive of Vision Express, which is supporting the initiative 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.”

Steve Gooding, the RAC Foundation director, 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.”