RED app adds smartphone vision checks for learner drivers

OptikosPrime has partnered with RED Driver Training to add smartphone-based vision screening to RED's learner driver app. The rollout will cover learners across RED's UK network.

The screening tool, VisionCheck, is being integrated into the Learn to Drive with RED app and its digital learning materials. It is designed to help students identify possible refractive errors using a mobile phone before they book a practical driving test or begin driving independently.

UK driving rules require motorists to meet minimum eyesight standards, including being able to read a number plate from 20 metres and achieving visual acuity of at least 6/12 on the Snellen scale. A learner who fails the eyesight check at the start of a practical test faces immediate cancellation.

The software uses a smartphone camera and image processing to complete a screening in less than a minute. Learners whose results suggest a possible problem are directed to seek a full eye examination from an optometrist.

The agreement places the software within one of the country's largest learner driver networks. RED delivers more than 1.3 million hours of driver training each year through more than 1,700 instructors.

The partnership comes amid concern about poor eyesight among UK motorists. A roadside screening evaluation involving Warwick Medical School, CARGY Research, the Older Drivers Forum and 32 police forces found that more than 1.2 million British drivers may not meet legal eyesight standards.

The study also found that two-thirds of drivers who failed roadside tests owned corrective eyewear but were not wearing it. Nearly a third had not had an eye examination for more than two years.

Separate research published by the Association of Optometrists found that 56% of UK optometrists had examined a patient in the previous month who continued to drive after being told their vision was below the legal standard.

Young driver risk

The focus on learner drivers also reflects wider road safety data. Department for Transport figures show that drivers aged 17 to 24 account for 6% of UK licence holders but are involved in 24% of fatal and serious collisions.

OptikosPrime, based in Copenhagen, described the RED deployment as its largest consumer transport rollout so far. Its software portfolio also includes a product called Argus, which the company says can derive an eyesight prescription from a mobile photo.

For RED, the addition fits its app-based model for managing lessons and driver education. Based in Teesside, the company connects students and instructors through a digital platform used across its national network.

Anders Kofod-Petersen, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of OptikosPrime, outlined the reasoning behind the rollout.

"The greatest barrier to clear vision is that people simply do not realize when their eyesight has slipped. Driving is the ultimate example of why accessible, mobile-first screening matters. By deploying VisionCheck across RED's national UK network, OptikosPrime is taking optical tech out of clinical silos and putting it where it can do the most immediate good. Catching vision changes before a student earns their full license is a practical, scalable way software can save lives," he said.

Seb Goldin said the tool would be used early in the learning process.

"Being able to see clearly is the absolute bedrock of safe driving, yet eyesight is often taken for granted. Integrating OptikosPrime's technology into our Learn to Drive with RED app gives our students an effortless way to check their vision early. If correction is needed, they find out in advance, consult an optical professional, and gain the confidence to drive safely. This partnership helps us build better drivers before their very first in-vehicle lesson," Goldin said.

OptikosPrime also argued that moving screening outside clinics could increase the chances of earlier intervention. The company positions the smartphone as the primary access point for vision checks, rather than relying on specialist hardware.

Ståle Fredlund Husby, another Co-Founder of the business, said the aim was to reach people before vision problems become a road risk.

"Most people only visit an optometrist once their vision has noticeably degraded. By taking screening out of clinical settings and embedding it directly into everyday consumer habits, we catch issues before they turn into real-world risks. Rolling this out across RED's British nationwide network proves that smart software can deliver preventive eye care at true national scale," Husby said.