Drivers have been warned they could be slapped with a £1,000 fine for failing to adhere to critical eyesight rules while they are on the road.
The warning comes as more drivers have been staying on the road for longer with the need to have regular eye tests more pressing.
Drivers with poor eyesight could face a £1,000 fine and three penalty points which could be particularly important for older drivers whose eyesight can change regularly.
To legally follow these rules, drivers must be able to read (with glasses or contact lenses, if necessary) a car number plate made after September 1, 2001, from 20 metres.
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Drivers can be fined £1,000 for not meeting UK eyesight requirements
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Drivers must also have a visual acuity of at least decimal 0.5 (6/12) measured on the Snellen scale and an adequate field of vision.
Elderly drivers over 70 need to declare that their eyesight meets minimum legal standards when renewing their licence.
Nyo Logan, Tyre Content Manager at BlackCircles said: "There are many offences that could lead you to receive points on your driver’s licence. Depending on the offence, penalty points can stay on your licence for four to 11 years.
"If you get 12 points on your driving licence in less than a three-year period, this could result in you being disqualified from driving. If you are a new driver and receive six or more points within two years of passing your test, your license will be revoked.
"Getting points on your licence also increases your car insurance policy, as your insurance provider will want to be informed about your motoring convictions."
According to research from the Association of Optometrists, two-thirds of drivers in the UK who use glasses are "putting off" updating their prescription resulting in their vision no longer being suitable for driving.
AOP chief executive Adam Sampson warned that the report should serve as a "stark reminder" of why UK roads are not as safe as they should be.
Sampson explained that this approach is "flawed" and falls out of place with many other countries who use a full sight test as the means to accurately ensure motorists have satisfactory vision to drive safely.
He added: "Many eye care professionals on the High Street have a patient, or multiple patients, who are driving with vision that is proven to be, via a medical check, below the minimum standard required for driving.
"In the UK, the number plate test is not an adequate test of vision. It is carried out only once with a driving instructor, not a trained eye health professional. A driver’s vision can then remain unchecked for the rest of their life."
Professor Julie-Anne Little, former chair of the AOP and research optometrist, highlighted that changes in vision can be gradual, "which means many drivers are unaware that their vision has deteriorated over time".
"It is a difficult conversation, but one that is absolutely necessary – preventing them from putting themselves and others at risk," she noted.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Drivers must be able to read a registration plate from 20 metres away
MERSEYSIDE POLICEThe association has been urging drivers to stay on top of their eyesight checks to help ensure they remain road-safe.
