Member Article

Brits who drive for work pose significant danger to road users, indicates YouGov poll for Road Safety Week 2017

YouGov research for national optician Vision Express polled Britons who drive for work, revealing: • 1 in 4 are not having regular eye tests, 6% haven’t had one in at least 10 years, and 2% have never had their eyes tested. • 13% would flout the requirement to voluntarily inform the DVLA if an eye test showed they were unfit to drive • Over a third (39%) say their job would be at risk if their eyesight fell below the standard to drive. In fact, 27% would lose their job if they lost their licence

Vision Express is urging the growing number of Brits who get behind the wheel for work to open their eyes to the risks of losing their licence and livelihood - as new research released for Road Safety Week 2017 (20-26 November) shows one in four are not having regular eye tests .

Worst still, 6% admitted they have not had an eye health check within the last 10 years, and shockingly, 2% have never had one.

While driving more than 25,000 miles a year is reportedly the third most dangerous job in the UK, behind deep sea diving and coal mining , the study points to a potential safety crisis for all road users – especially with 13% confessing they wouldn’t inform the DVLA if their eyesight was too poor to drive.

The findings come amid a sharp increase in UK road traffic by people driving for work. Buoyed by a surge in online shopping and on-demand deliveries, more vans than ever are travelling on UK roads .Taxis and private hire vehicles are on the rise too, as the latest Department for Transport figures show a 16% increase year-on-year in England alone .

In 2016, there were 44,048 work-related road casualties , and it is estimated that crashes involving a driver with poor vision causes 2,900 casualties each year.

A quarter of the drivers surveyed in Vision Express’ research considered sub-standard sight to be among the most significant road safety hazards and almost nine in 10 (86%) claimed to feel unsafe if other road users have poor vision.

The research found that over a third (39%) of people said their job would be at risk if their eyesight did not meet the minimum requirement to drive. More than a quarter (27%) feared they would lose their job if they were unable to drive.

Paul, a 29-year-old from the Isle of Sheppey, has had to relocate his job, after a brain tumour affecting his sight led to him sacrificing his driving licence. Paul hadn’t had an eye test since childhood, and attributes the test he underwent at Vision Express in Sittingbourne with saving his life. He has stopped driving due to risk of seizures, and now works in the same company but within walking distance of his home.

Despite losing the sight in his right eye, Paul has perfect vision in his left eye and is hopeful of regaining his licence in the future. He regrets not making his eye health a priority by maintaining regular sight checks.

He says: “I just wish I’d gone for an eye test sooner. I tell everyone now, look at what happened to me; Vision Express saved my life so make sure you go and get your eyes checked.”

Jonathan Lawson, Vision Express CEO, comments: “As Paul’s story shows, an eye test can detect a range of conditions, so it is an essential health check.

“Many don’t realise that changes in sight can be gradual, and it’s possible to lose up to 40% of your vision before even noticing it . Tellingly, the vast majority (93%) of drivers in our research believed they did meet the legal eyesight requirement for driving, yet over half (56%) couldn’t identify what this is, so there is a clear need to educate drivers about vision – particularly that half of all sight loss is preventable . The very best way to safeguard your licence is to get yourself to an optician.”

For most people, their only mandatory vision check is reading a registration plate from 20 metres away as part of a driving test. Reports estimate five million drivers on UK roads would fail this if they had to take it again .

Vision Express is supporting Road Safety Week by offering free eye tests via a voucher, downloadable until 26 November from the Vision Express website. The voucher can be redeemed until 31 December 2017 at any of approximately 400 Vision Express stores across the UK and Ireland.

Jonathan adds: “The Health and Safety Executive estimates that a third of all road traffic accidents involve someone who is at work , so ensuring these individuals have eye sight that is up to scratch can have a significant impact on improving road safety.

“If, like me, you get in your car day-after-day as part of your job, you’re putting your livelihood on the line, as well as your licence if you haven’t had an eye test in the past two years.

“We all know we should make sure our tyre pressures are right, there are no cracks in our windscreen and we don’t drive without a valid MOT. My first car was a Mark 2 Golf which I bought shortly after passing my driving test. If that was still on the road today, it would have undergone an MOT around 30 times, yet, by law, I wouldn’t have been required to have one eye test. That presents a huge road safety problem that we need to address if we’re going to reduce the 2,900 annual road casualties caused by poor driver vision.

“That’s why we’re also calling on the Government to help us to raise awareness about the importance of regular eye tests for drivers. One simple step would be to ensure that when drivers are prompted to renew their photo card license every 10 years that they are also reminded about the importance of making sure their eye prescription is up-to-date.”

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