Poor vision for the road ahead

More than a million motorists are driving around unaware that their eyesight is below the minimum standard, research out yesterday has shown. Many motorists adjust their driving in line with their visual abilities - but those who do not have 10 per cent more accidents.

If drivers with poor eyesight were more aware of their limitations, death- and-injury accidents could fall by more than 900 a year, according to the research Aston University and which was sponsored by Vauxhall.

The survey, which involved questioning 8,000 drivers at Granada motorway service areas, showed that 4 per cent of drivers - about 1.2 million people - could be unaware of their poor eyesight.

A week-long road-side check run by police found one woman driver whose eyesight was so bad that they drove her home themselves because they considered her a danger on the road.