Police Checks to Test Drivers’ Vision

The Is Your Vision Roadworthy? initiative run by the Older Drivers Forum, Eye Health UK and University of Warwick has launched its third annual roadside vision screening campaign to raise awareness of eyesight rules for motorists.

Police Forces across the UK will conduct 20 metre number plate tests and run community engagement activities to remind motorists of their legal obligation to meet the legal eyesight standards

The campaign, which runs from 27 October – 09 November 2025, was supported by senior road policing officials at its official launch during the UKROEd road safety conference last week.

David Cartwight chair of the charity Eye Health UK explains: “Road safety starts with clear vision. Up to ninety percent of the information a driver uses is visual, yet many motorists are unaware of their legal responsibility to meet eyesight standards for driving. Worryingly, when we last surveyed motorists’ vision 4 in 10 drivers had not had a sight test in the last two years, as recommended.”

The 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 at the correct measured distance (20m), with the driver wearing any eyesight correction (eg: spectacles) worn at the time of driving.

Rob Heard MBE, chair of the Older Drivers Forum, said: “This campaign is a timely reminder of motorists’ responsibility to ensure their vision is fit to drive and highlights the fact that routine sight tests are important safety checks, just like an MOT is for your car. It also keeps the issue of vision and driving in the spotlight ahead of the Department for Transport’s forthcoming Road Safety Strategy.”

Results from the nationwide roadside vision screening activity will be released in the new year and form part of the campaign’s ongoing advocacy work.

Visit the campaign website VisionAndDriving.info for practical advice and information about keeping vision roadworthy as well as information about the legal eyesight standards and eye conditions that need to be notified to the DVLA / DVA.