We MOT our cars to make sure they are roadworthy. We check the tyres, brakes and lights. But how often do we check the person behind the wheel?
From 21st – 27th September 2026, National Eye Health Week is encouraging people across the UK to think about their vision and the importance of regular eye tests.
It is something that matters to all of us, but for drivers, good eyesight has an additional importance.
Every journey relies on our ability to see and process what is happening around us – from spotting a pedestrian approaching a crossing to reading a road sign, judging distance, navigating a junction or reacting to something unexpected.
And, just like many other aspects of our health, our eyesight can change as we get older – sometimes so gradually that we may not immediately notice it.
So, this National Eye Health Week, BLT Driver Training is asking:
When did you last check whether your vision, and your driving, are still roadworthy?
More than two million people in the UK are living with sight loss.
Eye health is easy to take for granted when everything appears to be working as it should.
However, according to Vision Matters, more than two million people in the UK are living with sight loss severe enough to have a significant impact on their daily lives – and around half of this sight loss is considered avoidable.
Regular sight tests are therefore about much more than finding out whether you need new glasses. They can detect early signs of eye conditions, including glaucoma, and can sometimes identify signs of wider health conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure.
For anybody who drives, looking after our eyesight is also an important part of looking after our safety on the road.
What happens to our eyesight as we get older?
Age does not determine whether somebody is a safe driver.
Many people continue driving safely and confidently well into later life, and the relationship between ageing and our ability to drive is not straightforward.
However, some aspects of our vision can change with age.
Department for Transport guidance notes that as people get older, visual acuity – the sharpness of our vision – can deteriorate. Conditions affecting our field of vision become more likely, and our ability to recover from glare can reduce. These changes can develop gradually and may not always be immediately noticeable.
That matters when driving.
Think about driving towards low winter sun, meeting bright headlights on a dark road, spotting someone wearing dark clothing at night, reading a sign from a distance or seeing movement from the edge of your vision.
Driving requires more than simply being able to read letters on a chart.
Research into vision and driving considers several visual functions, including central and peripheral vision, contrast sensitivity, motion and depth perception and the speed at which we process visual information.
That is why noticing changes such as increased difficulty driving at night, greater sensitivity to glare or difficulty reading road signs from the distance you once could should not simply be dismissed as an inevitable part of getting older.
They are good reasons to have your eyesight checked.
What does the science tell us about eyesight and driving?
The relationship between eyesight and collision risk is complex.
In 2025, the Department for Transport published a major evidence review examining visual impairment and road safety. It found that there is still limited clear UK evidence linking visual impairment directly with collision risk.
However, the review found clearer evidence of an association between cataracts and higher rates of motor vehicle collisions. It also highlighted the importance of areas such as contrast sensitivity and visual fields that may not always be fully represented by a standard visual-acuity check.
That distinction is important.
Looking after eyesight and reviewing our driving should not assume that reaching a particular age suddenly makes somebody unsafe.
It is about recognising that our abilities can change over time and giving ourselves the opportunity to identify those changes early.
Would you pass the legal eyesight standard for driving?
There is a simple test every driver should know.
To drive legally in the UK, you must be able to read a modern vehicle registration plate from 20 metres away, wearing glasses or contact lenses if you need them.
Drivers must also meet a minimum standard of visual acuity and have an adequate field of vision. If you need glasses or contact lenses to meet the required standard, you must wear them whenever you drive.
Try thinking about 20 metres in everyday terms. Government guidance describes it as roughly the length of five parked cars.
Could you comfortably read the registration plate on the fifth one?
Meeting the legal minimum is essential, but there is an important difference between asking “Am I legally able to drive?” and “Am I still driving as confidently and effectively as I could be?”
That is where regular check-ins can be valuable.
When was your last eye test?
National Eye Health Week exists to encourage us to be proactive about eye health rather than waiting until we notice a problem.
For most people who are eligible for NHS-funded sight tests, the usual interval is every two years unless an optometrist recommends testing more frequently. In England, people aged 60 and over are entitled to a free NHS sight test.
If something changes before your next appointment, you do not need to wait.
If road signs are becoming harder to read, headlights seem increasingly dazzling, you are struggling more in low light or your vision simply does not feel quite right, arrange an eye examination.
And once you have checked your eyesight, it may be worth asking yourself another question. When did you last check in on your driving?
We MOT our cars – so why not check in on our driving?
Most of us accept that our cars need regular checks.
An MOT confirms that important safety components meet the required standards. We arrange servicing, replace worn tyres and deal with warning lights when they appear.
Yet many of us can go decades after passing our driving test without ever having our driving professionally reviewed again.
During those years, a lot can change.
Roads change. Vehicles change. Technology changes. Driving guidance changes.
And we can change too.
Eyesight, hearing, mobility, reaction times and confidence may develop or change as we get older. Sometimes the first sign is subtle – perhaps avoiding night-time journeys, feeling less comfortable at busy junctions or becoming more nervous on unfamiliar roads.
Having those changes does not automatically mean somebody should stop driving.
In fact, identifying them early may help a driver find ways to adapt, refresh their skills and continue driving safely and confidently for longer.
A driving check-in for people aged 60+
That thinking is at the heart of BLT Driver Training’s Mature Drivers Confidence Builder Course.
Designed for drivers aged 60 and over, it provides a relaxed, supportive opportunity to have your driving professionally reviewed without the pressure of a test.
There is no pass or fail.
Instead, a specially trained DVSA Approved Driving Instructor spends approximately 60 minutes with you, looking at your everyday driving and providing practical, individual feedback.
At the beginning of the session, this includes checking that you can read a vehicle registration plate at the required 20-metre distance.
During the drive, areas such as observation, awareness, junctions, positioning, judgement of speed and distance and general decision-making can then be reviewed.
The session takes place in your own vehicle, helping to make the experience relevant to the journeys and driving you do in everyday life.
Afterwards, you receive a written Driving Risk Assessment Report, as well as access to an exclusive post-course training video to help reinforce what you have learned.
For some drivers, it may simply provide reassurance that they are doing well.
For others, it might highlight something worth refreshing or practising.
And if eyesight is causing difficulty behind the wheel, recognising that is an opportunity to seek professional eye-care advice rather than simply allowing confidence to decline.
Staying independent starts with staying informed.
For many people, driving represents far more than getting from A to B.
It allows us to see family, meet friends, go shopping, attend appointments, enjoy hobbies and remain connected with our communities.
That independence is worth protecting.
National Eye Health Week provides a useful reminder that looking after our eyesight should form part of that.
Book the eye test. Wear the glasses if you need them. Pay attention to changes. And do not be afraid to check in on your driving too.
Being proactive about our abilities is not about giving up the keys. It is about giving ourselves the best opportunity to remain safe, confident and independent on the road for longer.
When did you last check in on your driving?
The BLT Driver Training Mature Drivers Confidence Builder Course is a relaxed, reassuring and supportive one-to-one driving session for full UK licence holders aged 60 and over.
Sessions last approximately 60 minutes, cost £99 including VAT, and are available across a growing number of locations in England, subject to assessor availability.
Find out more about the Mature Drivers Confidence Builder Course and book your session today.
We MOT our cars. Why not check in on our driving too?
For more information about National Eye Health Week and advice on looking after your eyesight, visit Vision Matters.
