Member Article

‘Vision Van’ hits Washington giving eye health MOTs

’Vision Van’ visits Washington servicesto give drivers an eye health MOT, after research shows 1 in 4 haven’t had an eye test in 2 years

Drivers taking a break at the Washington Moto Services, Birtley, Tyne and Wear on Thursday 26th November are being offered free eye tests at a specially-commissioned ‘Vision Van’, as part of a healthcare initiative for Road Safety Week (23-29 November).

Vision Express has teamed up with the Road Haulage Association (RHA), to help make UK roads safer. Together, they’ve launched the ‘eye tests save lives’ campaign urging drivers, both personal and professional, to take sight seriously by having regular check-ups.

The initiative follows research from road safety charity Brake, showing that 1 in 4 drivers are risking their licence by not having a regular eye test.

Vision Express is rolling out its Vision Van – a high tech mobile unit – to tour the UK during Road Safety Week, offering drivers the chance to ‘MOT’ their sight. The national optical retailer’s fourth visit on the tour is to the Washington Moto services just off the A1(M) in Birtley, Tyne and Wear. The popular services has been identified as a stop off point on the Van’s tour, as the A1(M) is one of the busiest routes in the North East region.

The Vision Van will also visit:

• 23 November: M25 South Mimms Welcome Break truck stop, South Mimms
• 24 November: Eddie Stobart Rugby depot, Clifton-upon-Dunsmore, CV23 0AE
• 25 November: M62 Burtonwood Welcome Break services
• 26 November: Washington Moto Services, Birtley, Tyne and Wear
• 27 November: M1 Leicester Forest East Welcome Break services

At each Vision Van location, drivers will be invited to have a comprehensive 30-minute eye examination to best practice guidelines of the College of Optometrists (COO). It includes an eye health screening and uses Optical Coherence Tomography, carried out by an expert optometrist from Vision Express.

Motorists unable to get to the Vision Van as it journeys across the UK, can download a free eye test via an online voucher. Redeemable at any of the retailer’s 390-plus UK stores, it is available on Vision Express’ website from 23 November 2015 and can be downloaded until 5pm on 30 November 2015 and can be redeemed until 31 December 2015.

Vision Express CEO Jonathan Lawson said: “With 50% of sight loss preventable[1], at Vision Express we’re calling on drivers to have an eye test and protect their vision – and their licence – for life. It’s worrying that for most of us, the only mandatory vision check is when we read a registration place from 20 metres as part of our driving test. As Cassie’s Law has given authorities greater powers to revoke driving licences due to concerns about standards of vision, it’s never been more important to know that your sight is up to scratch.”

Vision Express has joined forces with the RHA to provide its membership of professional drivers with discounted vision care and products. The RHA is the only UK trade association solely dedicated to the needs of UK road transport operators, who collectively have over 100,000 commercial vehicles.

RHA CEO Richard Burnett commented: “Professional drivers spend many hours behind the wheel, so it’s in their own best interests to do all they can to make sure their sight meets the legal standard – not only for their health, but also for their livelihood. Working with Vision Express is a natural fit. The average age of a driver is around 55; a time in their lives when sight can deteriorate, but they’re also likely to be affected by health conditions such as stroke, diabetes and high cholesterol, which we understand can be detected via an eye test. It’s a valuable collaboration for our members.”

The Vision Van journey can be followed via the hashtag #EyeTestsSaveLives

To find out more about the activity during Road Safety Week visit Vision Express’ website.

The 2014 Driver Eyesight Survey by Brake found:

Five million drivers (14%) acknowledge driving with less than perfect vision Crash risk is proven to be heightened by poor vision Road crashes caused by poor driver vision are estimated to cause 2,900 casualties and cost £33 million in the UK per year One in five drivers has avoided visiting an optician, even when they’ve noticed a problem with their vision One in eight admitted to driving without their glasses or lenses in the past 12 months.

[1] UK Vision Strategy, Vision 2020 UK - RNIB

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Vision Express .