Drivers With Poor Sight May Be Dangerous

In today's health and safety conscious world it seems we cannot do anything without first getting it authorised in triplicate and signed off by three different managers. So it seems odd that many people who drive for work are having accidents on the road which may be caused by poor eyesight.

A huge safety risk may have come to light due to the fact that employers are not forced to carry out eye tests, it has been claimed. Many drivers are on our roads and cannot see. A leading high street optician has revealed that of those of us who do need glasses one in five do not wear them whilst driving. A further 6% of those polled had not had any eye test in 11 years.

New research has suggested that a large percentage of accidents on UK roads may be due to poor vision.

Some six per cent of those asked blamed an accident on poor vision, while eight per cent commented that they could not see in the dark. Some say that eye tests should be a legal requirement for drivers.  It seems there may be some European legislation to this effect coming our way soon. Many people would have regular eye tests if it meant a reduced cost on their car insurance.

However, 99 per cent of respondents were not pushed into having their eyes tested by employers, it added. Currently the law does not require employees to have regular eye tests despite the fact that if you can prove your eyesight has been affected by your job then the company has to pay for glasses.

It seems so obvious that to be a good driver you must have good eyesight or glasses to correct poor eyesight. No employer who expects staff to drive in a professional capacity can afford to neglect regular eye tests.

If you would like to know more about driving why not ask AnswerBank Motoring.