Drivers heading away at the start of the summer holidays have been urged to get their eyes checked following new research from Vision Express that found a third of UK drivers were overdue an eye test.
According to the research, 50% of Britons planned to have their main holiday in the UK this year, compared to 38% in 2016, increasing the pressure on roads.
Basingstoke teacher Greg Archer led the calls for drivers to have regular eye tests after he learned that he had put his family at risk due to a decade-overdue eye test, that was eventually carried out at Vision Express, found impaired vision in his right eye.
‘The optometrist said my left eye was doing a good job of compensating, so it was a gradual deterioration and wasn’t noticeable straight away. It worries me now to think that the whole time I was driving with poor vision, I was potentially putting my family at risk,’ said Archer.
Archer, who drives 25 miles to work each day, now wears glasses and said he had noticed a real difference in both his driving and his everyday life. ‘It’s reaffirmed that I definitely wasn’t safe to drive before. It’s made everything clearer and sharper.’
Jonathan Lawson, Vision Express CEO added: ‘We passionately believe it is critical to educate drivers about sight. Our research revealed that less than half (47%) of UK drivers know what the legal eyesight requirement for driving is – that’s a big concern. It is hard to comprehend that something as important as sight is so low on the road safety agenda. While it’s important to make sure your car is fit for the road, we want to encourage the UK public to ensure their sight is worthy.’