Keep on the right road when it comes to your sight

Post on 3rd November 2016

Anxieties about slippery roads, limited visibility and the glare of headlights will drive many motorists off the road this winter, according to new research by Scrivens Opticians & Hearing Care.

Half of UK drivers are less inclined to get behind the wheel during the colder months as their concerns go up a gear and a third admit they avoid driving in the dark.

The research of 2,000 motorists was commissioned as part of our winter ‘You Can’t See the Signs’ campaign.

Operations Director Adrian Ellis explained: “With busy traffic, poor visibility and the actions of other drivers to consider, it’s no wonder that many motorists find it stressful on the road at times.

“But the huge amount of people who lack confidence to drive in certain conditions is surprising.

“It drives home the need to have regular eye tests and optimum vision for their own safety and the safety of other road users.”

It is that time of the year when fading light and shorter days makes it more difficult to see.

Changes to our vision should be more noticeable during the autumn and winter months, so the advice from Scrivens is not to ignore these signs and have your eyes tested regularly.

Vision does deteriorate with age with the 40-plus group particularly at risk, but it can be corrected and give people back confidence they may have lost.

Our survey found that half of those questioned had been in a traffic accident with a third of the incidents caused by situations where visibility was impaired, such as poor weather, low sun and darkness.

January is the month when most respondents stay away from the driver’s seat, followed by December and February.

Around a third of respondents said they struggle to read the signs when driving at night – while 66 per cent find it hard to cope with the glare of car headlights.

A fifth of people said they have difficulty focusing when driving in the dark and 22 per cent said they find that they can’t always see the kerb during a night time drive.

Six in 10 respondents said their vision has deteriorated since they originally passed their driving test.

The research found these were the top driving anxieties

1. Snowy weather
2. Other drivers
3. Low sun
4. Driving in the dark
5. Lorries
6. Busy traffic
7. Motorways
8. Rainy weather
9. Windy weather
10. Parking
11. Roundabouts
12. Changing lanes
13= Buses
13. = Box junctionsManoeuvres (three point turns, reversing round corners etc)
14. Pedestrians
15. Dual carriageways

If you have any concerns about your vision, please call into your local Scrivens Opticians & Hearing Care branch.