Motorists are refusing to wear glasses at the wheel, experts warn 

Motorists with poor vision are routinely breaking the law by refusing to wear glasses at the wheel, sparking fears up to ONE MILLION could be driving illegally, experts warn

  • Drivers with poor vision are routinely breaking the law by refusing to wear specs 
  • Findings come as millions prepare to take the roads for the festive getaway  
  • Optometrists calling for tougher enforcement amid fears people driving illegally 

Drivers with poor vision are routinely breaking the law by refusing to wear glasses or contact lenses at the wheel, warn experts.

A poll of optometrists found nearly half – 44 per cent – of patients are recklessly taking to the road despite failing to meet legal vision standards.

The findings come as millions prepare to take to the roads for the festive getaway. Drivers can have their licence revoked if they cannot read a number plate from 20 metres away but it is up to them to report themselves to the DVLA.

Drivers with poor vision are routinely breaking the law by refusing to wear glasses or contact lenses at the wheel, warn experts (stock) 

A small number are snared by police in roadside vision tests, with 206 being caught this way between January and September, according to insurers Direct Line which carried out the survey.

But optometrists are calling for tougher enforcement amid fears that around one million people could be driving illegally.

Poor eyesight was a direct cause in almost 300 serious collisions in the past five years, many of them fatal, according to figures.

Some 81 per cent in the survey support compulsory annual eye tests for all drivers, whether or not they have a condition.

The most common reasons for needing glasses are poor diet and nutritional deficiencies, stress and deterioration due to age. The eye conditions most commonly ignored by drivers are diabetic retinopathy (36 per cent), glaucoma (23 per cent) and myopia (17 per cent).

 

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