Renewed calls for sharper drivers' vision

Practitioners have been encouraged to join a new campaign launched this week by road safety charity Brake which calls on drivers to ‘sharpen up’ their act by ensuring their vision meets legal standards.

The campaign follows a survey of 1,000 drivers by Brake, insurer RSA and Specsavers, that revealed a quarter of drivers (26 per cent) have not had a vision test in the last two years. One in 11 (9 per cent) admitted to not visiting the optician for five years or more, or never. For 3 per cent it had been more than a decade and 3 per cent, the equivalent to more than one million UK drivers, have never been.

Many drivers who knew they needed glasses or lenses failed to wear them on every journey, with almost one in 10 (9 per cent) admitting to this. In addition, of those who claimed they did not need glasses or lenses, one in three (32 per cent) had not had their eyes checked in the last two years, so could not be certain their vision was up to scratch.

Paul Carroll, director of professional services for Specsavers, said: ‘We have been campaigning through our support of Brake’s Sharpen Up campaign and also our own Drive Safe activity for a number of years to make our roads safer for all road users including pedestrians. Taking responsibility for your sight is just as important as car insurance and MOTs.’

Brake encouraged optical practitioners to always ask patients if they drove, making them aware they were advised to get tested every two years or straight away if they noticed a deterioration, to make sure they were safe and legal. It added they should stress the importance of drivers always wearing their vision correction at the wheel and speak to patients about the implications of any eye conditions on driving and advising them if they needed to inform the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) of their condition.