More than 1.2 million motorists in Britain could be driving with eyesight below the legal standard.

A major new roadside study is prompting renewed calls for regular compulsory eyesight testing for drivers.

The research follows the Government’s own recent study of eyesight and driving.

Can you see it yet

The ‘Is Your Vision Roadworthy?’ study, carried out by the University of Warwick, the Older Drivers Forum and Eye Health UK, with support from the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), involved 3,778 drivers tested by 32 police forces across England, Scotland and Wales.

Overall, 4.2% of motorists tested received a police warning or had their licence revoked, including 23 immediate revocations.

The failure rate for the eyesight test was 2.6% in England, 3.2% in Scotland and 0.5% in Wales.

In England, the failure rate means more than 1.2 million licence holders may be driving without meeting the current visual standard.

Perhaps most concerningly, two-thirds of drivers who failed were not wearing their prescribed glasses when stopped.

Dr Carol Hawley of Warwick Medical School, who analysed the data, said: “While most drivers passed, 105 required eyesight-related advice, and 59 drivers failed outright. Some of those who failed the number plate test avoided a driving ban only because they had corrective glasses available to pass a second attempt.”

One driver failed at just 7.4 metres, rather than the required 20 metres, but subsequently passed when wearing the glasses they should have been using while driving.

The study also found that 31.5% of motorists had not had an eye test during the previous two years, rising to 42% among those who failed the roadside test.

 

Seeing safety

There are concerns that the problem could become increasingly significant as Britain’s driving population ages.

Drivers aged over 80 recorded a 7.3% failure rate in the latest study.

Previous analysis of the campaign found a 5.9% failure rate among English drivers aged 70 and over.

However, the evidence does not demonstrate that defective eyesight among drivers is necessarily getting worse.

In the previous 2024 roadside campaign, which tested 3,010 drivers, the overall failure rate was 1.7%, compared with 1.6% in the 2025 campaign.

These latest figures therefore highlight a persistent problem rather than a clear worsening trend.

The Department for Transport’s own 2025 evidence review also found limited, clear evidence linking visual impairment directly to collision or casualty risk, although cataracts were clearly associated with significantly higher motor-vehicle collision rates.

Nevertheless, the potential consequences are serious.

David Cartwright, optometrist and chair of Eye Health UK, said: “As much as 90 per cent of information needed for driving is visual. Even a minor reduction in vision can slow reaction times and impair your ability to recognise hazards or judge speed.”

He recommends drivers have an eye test at least every two years, or sooner if they notice changes in their vision.

Rob Heard MBE, founder of the Older Drivers Forum, added: “People’s sight deteriorates gradually, often without them being aware and often without them realising their sight may have fallen below the legal limit.”

Compulsory testing

Currently, drivers must be able to read a number plate from 20 metres in good daylight, with glasses or contact lenses if required.

They must also meet a minimum visual acuity of 6/12 on the Snellen scale and have an adequate field of vision.

But after passing the driving test, motorists are generally responsible for ensuring that they remain fit to drive.

When drivers reach 70, they renew their licence every three years, but do not routinely have to provide evidence of an eyesight test.

That is increasingly being questioned.

A recent submission to Parliament from the Older Drivers Forum and Eye Health UK recommends regular eyesight tests performed by an optometrist or ophthalmologist, with testing becoming more frequent with age.

There is also significant public support.

A 2026 survey cited in parliamentary evidence found 91% support for mandatory eyesight testing for drivers aged 70 and over as part of the licence renewal process.

The Government has already consulted on mandatory eyesight testing for older drivers as part of its wider road safety strategy.

Evidence given to Parliament in June 2026 also saw road safety representatives arguing that testing should potentially apply to all drivers, rather than being triggered solely by age.

 

 

Responsible drivers

Chief Constable Jo Shiner, NPCC Lead for Roads Policing, says: “Personal responsibility is the starting point for safer drivers. Making sure your eyesight meets the standards of vision for driving is really important and something only you can do.”

The challenge for policymakers is therefore to find a system that improves road safety without unnecessarily undermining people’s independence.

But with millions potentially driving with defective eyesight, the case for making regular eye tests a normal part of maintaining a driving licence, rather than relying largely on self-declaration, is likely to remain a significant road safety issue.