In a report published by the BBC three police forces in England (Thames Valley, Hampshire and West Midlands) are planning to test every motorist they stop in a bid to clamp down on drivers with defective eyesight.
Officers can request an urgent revocation of a licence through the Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) if they believe the safety of other road users will be put at risk if a driver remains on the road.
Under current rules, the only mandatory examination of a driver's vision takes place during the practical test, when learners must read a number plate from 20 metres.
The power to revoke licences was introduced in 2013 under Cassie's Law, named after 16-year-old Cassie McCord, who died when an 87-year-old man lost control of his vehicle in Colchester, Essex.
It later emerged he had failed a police eyesight test days earlier, but a legal loophole meant he was allowed to continue driving.
This is not legal advice; it is intended to provide information of general interest about current legal issues.
Gepp & Sons Solicitors LLP provides legal advice in all sorts of motoring and criminal prosecutions. Roger Brice who head up the Department brings over 30 years experience to bear on each and every case he deals with. He is an expert in road traffic law and cuts through the sometimes confusing issues to deliver a significant and coherent message to support every Client for whom he acts.
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