Keeping an eye on drivers' sight

Nov 25 2008 Steve Hughes

Keeping an eye on drivers' sight

ONE in ten drivers has had an accident or a near miss because they were not wearing their glasses while driving.

A survey by Specsavers suggests that a quarter of drivers have not had their eyesight checked since they passed their test. Of those, about half believe they would fail an eye examination.

"These results show that a significant number of drivers are worryingly unsafe," says Helen Haughton from road safety charity Brake.

"It is vital that everyone has their eyes examined regularly to ensure they are not putting themselves or anyone else at risk."

The poll of 2,000 drivers follows an announcement that new EU driving licences should include a driver's eyecare prescription. The legislation, set to be introduced from January 2011 will also force drivers to have eye examinations once every five years for a commercial licence and once every ten to 15 years for a private licence.

Specsavers founder Mary Perkins, says: "It is shocking to think that a driver can go from the age of 17 to 80 years-old without having a sight check. That presents a very real danger on our roads."

The poll also revealed that 94% of those surveyed think drivers over 60 years old should be made by law to have their eyesight checked regularly.

However, 21% of drivers said they would still drive if they lost or broke their glasses. Five per cent would use another person's glasses in the hope that they were a similar prescription.

Three quarters of those polled said that sight tests should be part of random roadside police checks.

When asked why they did not have regular eye examinations, 13% of those polled said it is because they do not have the time, 21% say they cannot afford it and 18% cannot be bothered.

In Germany, Italy and Spain anyone who wears glasses or contact lenses has to carry a spare pair with them when driving.

Specsavers says it has campaigned unsuccessfully for a decade for legislation to be introduced to make sight tests compulsory.