Why it's important to wear your glasses when driving

Wearing glasses and contact lenses can often be an inconvenience for some people for various reasons. This may cause them to not wear them each day, but when it comes to driving you need to ensure that you are able to see clearly. If you are driving along and you can’t see properly, not only are you putting yourself at danger but other motorists on the road too.

You should be wearing your glasses or contact lenses every time you drive if they are a legal requirement and the DVLA must be told of any eyesight problems that could affect your driving. But it seems as though driving without the required eyewear is more common than you would think. We conducted a survey of 1,000 respondents which found that one in five glasses wearers admitted to driving without wearing the correct eyewear.

If you drive regularly without wearing your glasses or contact lenses, then you should keep reading to find out why it’s important to wear them.

It's illegal to drive without the correct eyewear

If your driving licence has a 01 in box 12, this means you are required by law to wear glasses when driving. Driving without your glasses or contact lenses is illegal and if you are caught driving without them; you could end up with a fine, penalty points on your licence or even a driving ban.

Rule 92 of the Highway Code states that you must be able to read a vehicle number plate from a distance of 20 metres in good daylight and this is something you will have to do during your practical driving test.

You are asked to correctly read a number plate on a parked vehicle at the start of the test and if you are unable to do so, you will fail and the DVLA will be informed resulting in your licence being revoked. When reapplying for your licence, you will need to have an eyesight test with DVSA.

Driving without your glasses invalidates your insurance

Driving without your glasses when they are a legal requirement invalidates your insurance. If the worse were to happen and you were involved in a car accident, you could end up paying for the repairs to your car, the repairs to the other person’s car and any legal costs that would have been covered in your policy.

Driving without your glasses when they are a legal requirement invalidates your insurance. If the worse were to happen and you were involved in a car accident, you could end up paying for the repairs to your car, the repairs to the other person’s car and any legal costs that would have been covered in your policy.

To stay safe on the road, you need to stay on top of your eyesight appointments as changes to the eyes can happen in as little as six months to a year.