Recently released Department of Transport (DoT) statistics show there were 33,399 casualties over the past decade to road users where glare from sunlight has been among the contributing factors. On average, there were 653 people being killed or experiencing serious injury each year.
Latest figures for 2021 showed that, of the 2,369 casualties caused by glare, 558 resulted in serious injury, with 19 deaths.
Compounding the DoT findings was data from a new survey carried out by Glasses Direct in partnership with Transitions. A survey of 2,000 UK drivers, half of whom required prescription glasses to drive, found 14% of drivers had been involved in a collision or near-miss on the road because of impaired vision from sun glare.
Nearly three-quarters of respondents said they still regularly wore non-prescription sunglasses to drive during the day, despite 37% admitting they struggled to see clearly when driving with standard glasses. In addition, 17% of drivers confessed they had their last eye test outside of the recommended two-year check-up time period, with another 6% believing it had been five years or more since their last eye test. Just 5% of drivers thought it was especially important to wear sunglasses while driving in winter months.
Glasses Direct and Transitions partnered with Dr Alex George, A&E doctor, TV personality and lifelong car fanatic to remind drivers of the dangers posed by the sun in changing seasons.
George said: ‘Low winter sun can pose a real hazard to drivers, but despite this, only three in 10 of us will consider how our route will be impacted before travelling, and only one in three drivers identified that west facing roads are most likely to be impacted by sun glare when driving at sunset. It’s easy to be dazzled either directly or by the sun’s reflection on a wet road, so wearing the correct lenses, with prescription if necessary, can help reduce this and improve your visibility while you drive.’
Knowledge gap
Concerning knowledge gaps around the most appropriate eyewear for driving were also identified in the research. Over half of drivers (55%) did not know if their sunglasses were legally appropriate for driving, and 71% had no idea what category filter their sunglasses were.
David Hutchfield, head of professional services at Glasses Direct, said: ‘If you need to wear glasses for driving as indicated by a 01 code under section 12 on your driving licence, then you must also get sunglasses that adhere to your prescription and not just off-the-shelf glasses. Concerningly, this doesn’t seem to be common knowledge as only 5% of drivers who are required to wear glasses (and have the code) could accurately identify it.’
Drivers vision
The survey also found that drivers were willing to put others at risk for the sake of their mobility, with 14% of admitting to avoiding going to an optician for fear of losing their driving licence. Glasses Direct estimated there were 1.2million drivers, when extrapolated as a percentage of the UK driving population, that knew they should not be driving but do so anyway. Seven percent (2.8m) had delayed quitting because they were worried about losing their independence and a further 4% (1.6m), knew they needed to go but could not afford the required changes to their prescription.
Britain’s oldest killer driver jailed
A 96-year-old driver who collided with and killed a fellow pensioner crossing the road has been jailed for two years after a court heard an optometrist had advised him not to drive due to bilateral cataracts and macular degeneration.
William Beer killed 84-year-old Illtyd Morgan on a residential street in April 2021 in Caerphilly. Police made Beer perform a roadside eye test at the scene of the collision and discovered that he could only read a number plate from seven metres away.
At Newport Crown Court, Beer said he had stopped driving but started again due to having to care for his wife, who suffered from dementia. He told the judge he believed his eyesight had improved following specialist treatment in 2019, but the conditions were not disclosed on a driving licence renewal application later that year.
Anthony Clarke, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: ‘William Beer’s decision to drive, ignoring medical advice, resulted in the worst possible consequences; the loss of life.
‘This case is a tragic reminder that motorists must ensure they are fit to drive safely, for their own safety and the safety of all other road users.’