Over 100,000 learner drivers will benefit from free eye tests and discounted vision care as Vision Express and RED driving school launched a joint campaign to boost road safety in the UK.
Currently, the only mandatory vision check for learner drivers is reading a registration plate from 20 metres away as part of their driving test. Yet, reports estimate that five million drivers on UK roads would fail this if they had to take it again.
In a bid to make UK roads safer, the collaboration will educate learner drivers about the importance of regular eye tests to detect a range of health conditions, including high cholesterol, diabetes and risk of a stroke.
Vision Express CEO Jonathan Lawson said: ‘It is estimated that crashes involving a driver with poor vision cause 2,900 casualties each year, so there is clearly a job to be done to encourage people to get a regular eye test, and learner drivers are crucial because they’re at the very start of their motoring life.’
‘Regular eye tests can not only safeguard your sight, but your driving licence too,’ he added.