Police in Sussex have been carrying out roadside tests, and having licences revoked if people fail the eyesight test. It is a practical application of Cassie’s Law.
Some of the results so far are terrifying. In particular, a 66-year old in Eastbourne was found to be unable to read a car number plate from more than 4 metres! That’s less than a fifth the normal required distance. For all practical purposes he was driving whilst completely blind. The story rides on the back of that of 69-year old Wayne Metcalfe, who was jailed for 6 months (suspended for two years) after he killed a motorcyclist when he knocked him off without seeing him.
The guy who couldn’t read a plate beyond 4 metres also ought to be looking at a prison stretch. You don’t just overlook eyesight that poor (after all, the quality of vision within 4 metres is unlikely to be perfect in such a case, and not being able to see your feet properly would tend to register as there being something slightly wrong). In fact, ignoring such obvious problems has to be down either to criminal stupidity… or just the fact that criminal acts don’t bother you.