DVLA could 'revoke' driving licences over DSVA spot check and issue £1,000 fines

Drivers have been warned over strict regulations around eyesight with £1,000 fines if caught breaking rules. Motorists who fail to inform the DVLA about medical conditions affecting their driving could be hit with fines of up to £1,000, the DVLA has warned.

3,000 people are killed or injured each year by drivers with poor eyesight. Ian Wilson, managing director of Tiger.co.uk, said: "These strict regulations and new roadside checks are designed to increase road safety and make sure everyone on the road is fit to drive, with penalties ranging from £1,000 fines to driving bans.

“Maintaining good eye health is essential for driving and key to passing these roadside eye tests. Regular eye tests can detect vision loss and eye problems earlier, while also ensuring you have the correct prescription for glasses or contact lenses.

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“It’s also important to have a spare pair of glasses in your glovebox for emergencies and sunglasses with the correct lens for driving – winter sun can be dangerous behind the wheel if you aren’t prepared.” Professor Julie-Anne Little, past chairman of the AOP and research optometrist, explained: "Sight changes are gradual which means that many drivers are unaware that their vision has deteriorated over time.

"But having poor eyesight has been shown to slow reaction times and the ability to drive safely - and it doesn't take much for one mistake to result in a serious collision with catastrophic consequences." At the start of your practical driving test you have to correctly read a number plate on a parked vehicle.

If you cannot, you’ll fail your driving test and the test will not continue. DVLA will be told and your licence will be revoked. When you reapply for your driving licence, DVLA will ask you to have an eyesight test with DVSA. This will be at a driving test centre. If you’re successful, you’ll still have to pass the DVSA standard eyesight test at your next practical driving test.