Thousands of drivers are failing test before they even get behind the wheel

Thousands of learners in the UK are flunking their driving tests before they even touch the ignition, all due to a simple yet crucial task – failing to read a number plate from 20 metres away. Over 3,000 aspiring drivers blundered at this common hurdle and missed out on hitting the road.

They didn't just fall at the first sight test; they also splashed out roughly £200,000 collectively on unsuccessful driving tests without ever revving an engine. Research by Feel Good Contacts revealed how many potential motorists' visions put the brakes on their practical driving aspirations in the UK.

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Forking out between £62 and £75 for a test can cause a bit of a sting in your wallet, but for 3,061 hopefuls between 2018 and 2023, it was money down the drain before they could even buckle up.

The vital eyesight check is straightforward - spot the letters on a reg plate from 20 metres as gov.uk stipulates, "You must be able to read (with glasses or contact lenses, if necessary) a car number plate made after 1 September 2001 from 20 metres."

A mix-up with spectacles or just poor vision led these learners to cough up a staggering £229,000 for exams that were doomed to fail before they could so much as adjust the rear-view mirror.

It seems that learner drivers are not taking the importance of good eyesight for their practical exam seriously, with the number of test fails at the initial eyesight check gradually increasing and returning to pre-Covid levels.

The figures peaked at 697 in 2018, sharply fell to 280 in 2020 and have been gradually rising year-on-year to 600 in 2023, reports Lancs Live. In terms of gender, men are 41 per cent more likely to fail their driving test at this stage than women, with males aged 21-30 being the most likely group to fail their driving test at the initial eyesight check.

Men were responsible for 1,842 of the fails, while women only accounted for 1,219 of the fails at this stage of the driving test. Younger drivers failed most at the initial eyesight check, with those aged 21-30 accounting for more than a third (36 per cent) of them.

Over 14 million drivers in the UK need eyesight correction as a condition of their licence, meaning out of 42 million licence holders, a third (34 per cent) contain an '01 - Eyesight Correction' code.

More than a third (35 per cent) of 2,000 Brits surveyed, who wear glasses or contacts when driving, confess they've not declared it to the DVLA - potentially putting people's safety on the roads at risk.

Motorists who have informed the DVLA about their need for corrective eyewear could face a hefty £1,000 fine and three penalty points if they fail to wear them while driving.

Khuram Sarwar, a dispensing optician at Feel Good Contacts, emphasised: "Wearing prescription glasses or contact lenses is a must while driving for those who need vision correction to meet the 'standards of vision for driving'.

"Having crystal-clear eyesight at multiple distances is needed to achieve an adequate field of vision during driving and to see number plates, road signs and other vehicles with optimal visual activity.

"It's a simple process to get your vision corrected and it's not worth the risk of failing your driving test or putting others in danger."