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One third of British drivers could be on the roads with
sub-standard vision

A nationwide poll of 3,000
drivers, commissioned by Specsavers, revealed that one in three had
not been for an eye examination in more than two years, as
recommended by opticians.
A further six per cent said
they had not had an eye examination in the last 11 years. One in
five of those who need to wear glasses behind the wheel admitted
they often do not bother to put them on.
The research identified
Bristol as the UK's car crash capital. Some 19 per cent or 6.5
million Brits have been involved in a car crash within the past
year. But more than a third of people living in Bristol reported
being involved in at least one smash, with 71 per cent having had
near-misses. The city was also highest for accidents related to
poor vision or not wearing glasses with 47 per cent reporting
sight-related incidents. Swansea was second with 32 per cent of
crashes and Belfast, Coventry and Brighton completed the top
five.
Specsavers co-founder Dame
Mary Perkins comments: 'This research highlights how important
eyesight is to road safety, both for motorists and those around
them. Peripheral and long distance vision help us spot potential
dangers giving us more time to react and therefore avoid
accidents. It's essential that regular eye examinations are
kept to.'
Motorists in Southampton
were found to be the safest on the roads with just eight per cent
being involved in a car accident, along with those from Leeds,
Sheffield, Manchester and Glasgow.
Three quarters of people
agreed that drivers should be required by law to have their sight
examined regularly. This comes ahead of current EU legislation
which will be translated into UK law in 2011 requiring motorists to
have regular eyes examinations.
The research also has
implications for insurers with 96 per cent of respondents claiming
they would have frequent eye examinations if it reduced the cost of
their car insurance.
Dame Mary continues: 'We
welcome the new EU legislation and are pleased to see that the
public realises the benefits of regular eye examinations for
motorists. The new legislation is a brilliant first step in
ensuring motorists have the required level of vision, however, we
would also encourage a legal requirement for more regular checks
and for drivers to carry a spare pair of prescription glasses in
their vehicles.'
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