Would You Lose Your Driving Edge With Poor Vision?

Driving when it comes down to it is a bit of a skill. You need to be physically fit, mentally aware and most importantly you need clear vision.  But when was the last time you got your eyes tested specifically for driving?

Did you know that law in the UK says that you must be able to read a post-2001 number plate in good daylight from 20m? A recent report from the police states that 5% of drivers have failed this test when done randomly at the roadside. Perhaps we should all be checking our eyesight periodically?

My Car Check Raise Awareness

My Car Check is an online database that stores all the information you need to know about any second-hand car you buy, they store information from police, DVLA, insurers and finance houses. Their boss got everyone in there building to go out to the car park and complete the 20-meter reg reading test to help raise awareness of the need to good eyesight when driving.

It is a simple check to complete. Simply measure out 20m from a parked car, then see if you can clearly read the reg plate. If you can't read it, then we would recommend you get assess professionally. You can either get assessed through a local driver assessment scheme or through a mobility centre.

All the staff at mycarcheck.com passed the test. Mark Bailey, Head of CDL Vehicle Information Systems, which owns mycarcheck.com, said: “While discussing the shocking new 5% statistic, it emerged that only a few of our team had tried the 20m vision check since passing their driving tests, so we headed out into the car park to try it. Pleasingly, even though it was raining at our Stockport HQ, everyone got the reg spot on. It was a quick and easy team exercise with potentially huge road safety benefits and we urge others to give it a go.”

Importance of Checking

Even with bad eyesight people might still believe that they are fine to drive, but sadly most people don't stop driving until it is too late. People with poor vision have a higher likelihood of causing an accident, and there have even been people killed because of people driving with poor eyesight.

More specifically, there is a lot of information online around Cassie's Law, a 16-year-old girl that was sadly killed by a driver who had poor eyesight but refused to stop driving, his poor vision caused him to drive off the road and hit the girl. The law is looking to give the police the power to instantly revoke driving licences from people who fail a roadside eyesight test.