Motorists warned to check their eyesight by Nottinghamshire Police
Motorists caught with defective eyesight on the roads can expect a fine, penalty points and potential disqualification from driving.
That's the warning from Nottinghamshire Police Roads Policing Unit as the clocks go back and darker evenings set in.
Over the coming weeks, officers will be carrying out additional roadside checks to ensure that drivers' vision is roadworthy, primarily by asking them to read a number plate from 20 metres away.
As part of a national road safety campaign, drivers who are involved in collisions or pulled over for any other reason can expect to have their eyesight tested.
Those who fail face prosecution for driving with uncorrected defective eyesight and can face a fine of up to £1,000, three penalty points and possible disqualification from driving.
Results will also be fed into a national eyesight survey by the Older Drivers Forum.
The law requires that all motorists are able to read a car number plate from 20 metres, or about five car lengths; have a visual acuity of 6/12, measured on the Snellen eye chart scale used by opticians (wearing prescription eyewear, if necessary); and have an adequate field of vision.
Additional standards are in place for lorry and bus drivers.
Under legislation known as Cassie's Law, drivers who fail a roadside number plate test could have their licence revoked on the spot if a police officer deems them unsafe to be on the road.
Detective Inspector Jamie Moore, head of roads policing at Nottinghamshire Police, said: "Most drivers know that excess speed, worn tyres or mobile phone use can result in a fine or penalty points, but they are perhaps less likely to realise that driving with defective eyesight is punishable with a fine of up to £1,000, three penalty points and possible disqualification.
"That's because poor vision significantly increases your chances of being involved in a road traffic collision. Ninety per cent of the information we use as drivers is visual, so even a small deterioration in our vision can significantly increase our chances of being involved in a collision.
"It is our responsibility as drivers to ensure that our vision is roadworthy, and that we are wearing appropriate eyewear to meet the required standards on the roads."