Motorists back drive for more eyesight tests

But more than a quarter of drivers have not had an eye test in the past two years, the poll from insurance company RIAS found.

A total of 10 per cent of drivers in London have either never had their eyes tested or not had a test in the last 10 years.

Nearly three in four (73 per cent) of London drivers had had an eye test in the last two years, with this figure rising to 83 per cent for motorists in south-west England.

Drivers aged 18 to 30 had eye tests every three years and five months on average, while those over 70 had tests every 16 months.

The survey, of 2,008 adults, also found that two-thirds of drivers aged 16 to 24 supported the idea of older motorists having to retake the driving test, while only 23 per cent of those aged 65 or over were keen on this.

The poll followed a survey conducted last year by RIAS and the International Longevity Centre which showed that 24 per cent of Britons thought motorists should stop driving at the age of 75, 70 or even earlier.