Poor sight hampers young drivers

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One in seven motorists has problems reading road signs because their eyesight is so poor, a survey suggests.

The figure for drivers in their 20s with poor eyesight is higher - three in 10 say they have problems, research for Vision Express and the RAC says.

That is the age range responsible for most crashes.

The Highway Code stipulates that drivers must be able to read a vehicle number plate from a distance of 20.5m (67ft) in good daylight.

Researchers say that apart from not seeing other cars or hidden bends, not being able to read road signs can lead to erratic driving.

In the survey of nearly 3,000 people, 15% admitted to problems reading roadsigns.

Figures from the Department of Transport show 3,180 people were killed in the 12 months to March this year.

The Department for Transport is meeting its 10-year safety target of cutting the number of road accident deaths and injuries to 40% of the 1994-98 average - which saw a total of 319,928 casualties.