RANDOM roadside eye tests for drivers have been introduced by Devon and Cornwall police, following reports that up to 5.28 million British drivers may not meet the legal eye-sight standard. Drivers are being stopped at roadside checkpoints and given a statutory test of reading a number plate from a distance of 20.5 metres.

Anyone who fails the test will be reported to the Crown Prosecution Service and could face prosecution for 'driving with uncorrected or defective eyesight'. The force introduced the initiative, which will run until the end of May, after researchers at Aston University tested the eyesight of nearly 8,000 drivers and found that 16% did not meet the standard required by law. If reflected nationally, this would mean 5.28 million of the country's 33 million licence holders.