Play it safe this winter and check your vision
Post on 14th January 2019
Few people look forward to winter motoring when testing conditions like icy roads or driving snow make journeys difficult and test skills behind the wheel.
Drivers know it’s the season to take extra care and precautions to ensure that they and their vehicles are up to the challenge.
To play it safe this winter it’s important not only to show greater awareness on the roads, but also to ensure your vision is up to standard. It’s no fun trying to see what’s ahead in poor conditions and worse if your sight is not what it once was.
And at this time of year it is not unusual for changes to your vision to be more noticeable.
Don’t ignore the signs and ‘Get Yourself Seen’ is the timely advice from Scrivens. It makes sense to have an eye test for your own safety and the safety of other road users. Vision does deteriorate with age, with the 40-plus group particularly at risk, but it can be corrected.
With around 2,900 casualties every year caused by drivers with poor vision, regular sight tests are vital.
Indeed such is the concern that the Association of Optometrists wants to see a mandatory comprehensive vision check for drivers every 10 years, with more frequent assessments for those aged 70 or over.
The Highway Code says drivers must be able to read a car number plate from a distance of 20 metres, with glasses or contact lenses if necessary yet the only time eyesight is checked by a driving assessor is during a practical driving test.
If you have any concerns about your eye health or would like to book an eye test, please call into your local Scrivens branch.