Road Safety Operation Launches: Is Your Vision Roadworthy?

As part of a national road safety campaign beginning on Monday 28^th October, police will be checking drivers’ vision in order to ensure their eyesight is roadworthy when they get behind the wheel.

The National Police Chief’s Council (NPCC) Operation Dark Night campaign, which takes place for two weeks, will see Matrix Team officers carrying out roadside vision screening and sharing important information about how motorists can keep their vision clear in all light conditions.

Now that the darker nights are drawing in, more drivers will find themselves on the roads after dark, and drivers may notice problems with their eyesight.

Cleveland Police Roads Policing Sergeant Mark Kewley said: “Ninety per cent of the information that a driver uses is visual, and so we want to raise awareness of the importance of good eyesight and roadside screening will help us to do this.

“Drivers may not know that, if they fail the required standards, they are breaking the law and this could mean a fine of up to £1,000, three penalty points and even possible disqualification.

“Putting other road users at risk is not acceptable and everyone needs to take responsibility for making our roads safer, to help prevent serious and fatal road traffic collisions.”

Voluntary roadside vision screening will ask drivers to read a number plate from a distance of 20 metres. All tests will be conducted in good daylight conditions, using a registration plate affixed to a vehicle meased at the correct distance, and with the driver wearing any eyesight correction, for example spectacles, worn at the time driving.

Cassie’s Law legislation means that drivers who fail a roadside number plate test could have their licence revoked on the spot if a police officer deems them to be unsafe to be on the road. Other penalties can include a fine or penalty points.

Over time, vision can decline gradually and so it’s recommended by eye experts that all motorists have regular sight tests – every two years unless advised otherwise by an optometrist – to help ensure that vision remains roadworthy.

The DVLA must be notified of some certain eyesight conditions. Full details of the legal eyesight standards for all motorists can be found at www.gov.uk/driving-eyesight-rules

For practical advice and information around vision and driving, including a driving after dark checklist, please visit: www.visionanddriving.info