In focus: Optics lights up Road Safety Week issues

This year’s Road Safety Week has been marked with a series of campaigns and damning news stories about the roadworthiness of the nation’s eye health.

Around 17 million UK drivers admit they struggle to see at night, with almost a third of vehicle users revealing they refuse to drive in the evening because of reduced light levels.

What is more, research conducted by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA) has shown 25% of motorists have trouble focusing at night, with an alarming 43% reporting that they had suffered from blurred vision.

Nigel Best, optometrist and Specsavers Darlington store director, told Optician driving at night is ‘one of the most visually demanding tasks’ we encounter. As well as having to wrestle with reduced visibility and limited peripheral vision, modern xenon headlights have become a menace for drivers who are dazzled by the powerful lights.