Police in North Wales have begun banning motorists immediately at the roadside during a major crackdown on poor driver vision. The operation led to seven on-the-spot driving bans after individuals failed a simple number plate test.
Operation Dark Night: The Eyesight Checks
The enforcement action, carried out by North Wales Police, was part of a nationwide initiative known as Operation Dark Night. Officers were deployed in the towns of Holyhead and Bangor, where they stopped a total of more than 320 vehicles.
Every driver was asked to complete the standard legal eyesight test: reading a vehicle number plate from a distance of 20 metres. This is the minimum visual standard required by law for anyone driving in the UK.
Shocking Failures and Immediate Consequences
Despite the test's simplicity, seven drivers could not meet the requirement. The results were alarming, with some individuals unable to read a plate at distances as short as 4, 8, 10.5, and 13 metres. Officers subsequently took these drivers home.
Under regulations known as Cassie's Law, the DVLA will be notified of all failures. This law was enacted in February 2013 following the tragic death of 16-year-old Cassie McCord from Colchester. She was killed by an 87-year-old driver who had failed an eyesight test just three days earlier but refused to surrender his licence.
Now, any driver failing the roadside test faces immediate licence revocation, three penalty points, and a potential fine of up to £1,000.
Police Commitment to Road Safety
Sergeant Leigh McCann of the Roads Crime Unit stated the force's unwavering commitment to safety. "We are pleased to be supporting this national campaign to help continue to ensure that our roads are as safe as possible for all drivers, pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and other road users," he said.
He expressed disbelief at one driver's inability to read a plate from 4 metres, calling it "unbelievable." Sergeant McCann emphasised that vision can decline gradually and urged all motorists to have regular eye tests, typically every two years, to ensure their sight remains roadworthy.
The operation also uncovered other offences, including defective tyres, drug driving, and driving without insurance. Sergeant McCann confirmed that further checks would be carried out in the coming weeks, asserting that preventing even one serious injury or death would make the operation a success.
