North Wales Police is urging motorists to check their eyesight as part of a national road safety campaign highlighting the dangers of driving with poor vision.

Operation Insight aims to raise awareness of the importance of good eyesight behind the wheel, particularly as shorter days, darker evenings and worsening weather conditions create additional challenges for road users.

The campaign encourages drivers to have regular eye tests and ensure they wear any prescribed glasses or contact lenses whenever driving.

Even a relatively small deterioration in eyesight can affect a motorist’s ability to recognise hazards, judge distances and react to potential dangers.

Police say the issue is particularly important during winter, when reduced visibility can make it harder for drivers to spot pedestrians, cyclists and other vulnerable road users.

Eighteen people lost their lives on UK roads in 2025, while around 3,000 people are seriously injured every year in collisions involving drivers or riders with defective or uncorrected eyesight.

Sergeant Gerallt Williams, of North Wales Police's Roads Crime Unit, said good eyesight was fundamental to safe driving but could easily be overlooked.

He reminded motorists that the legal requirement is to be able to read a standard vehicle number plate from a distance of 20 metres, roughly five car lengths.

He said drivers should make sure their vision meets the required standard and remain alert to other road users, particularly during periods of darkness and poor weather.

The campaign also highlights the responsibility of pedestrians and cyclists to make themselves visible, with bright or reflective clothing and appropriate lighting helping drivers to spot them sooner.

A national survey carried out in 2025, called Is Your Vision Roadworthy?, found that more than 1.2 million motorists were driving with defective eyesight, with some falling well below the legal minimum standard.

North Wales Police is encouraging anyone who is due an eye test to arrange one and to make checking their vision part of their approach to road safety.

Further information about the legal eyesight requirements for drivers is available at GOV.UK – Driving eyesight rules.