Do More Dorset Drivers Need Glasses?

22 November 2013, 07:57 | Updated: 22 November 2013, 08:22

A survey has highlighted that more drivers in Poole need to wear glasses.

Nearly a third of drivers who took part in free on-the-spot eyesight checks at Esso petrol station in Rossmore
on Monday (18 November) did not meet the minimum legal standard for driving or were borderline safe to drive.

The initiative is part of the thinkaboutyoureyes.co.uk campaign which aims to identify poor eyesight on the road and urge drivers to take extra care as the nights draw in and visibility worsens.

The Mayor of Poole, Councillor Philip Eades, and his chauffer, Gary Richards, set an example when they stepped up to the mark to check their eyes were safe.

The results mirror a recent survey that showed 35 per cent of drivers have driven into a roundabout and narrowly missed being hit by a car from their right because they didn't see them.

"These figures are quite alarming and we really hope that the results encourage more people to get regular eye
 examinations – both for their own safety and other road users too," said Lucy Freeman, optician from Classic Eyes opticians.

 "In the absence of a law to ensure drivers have regular eye tests drivers should take more responsibility."

The initiative was welcomed by Jackie McCord, whose teenage daughter was killed by an elderly driver after he had already failed a police eye test. Her campaigning led to Cassie’s Law, which gives police the power to have drivers quickly banned if they fail an on-the-spot eye test.

Mrs McCord, said: “We don’t take a driver’s word that their vehicle has tax, MOT and insurance yet we take their word that their
eyesight is okay for driving! My daughter should not have been put in a position that meant her life was taken. We cannot allow other families to have to endure what we have and need to put more safeguards in place.”  

Throughout Road Safety Week, the Think About Your Eyes campaign has specialist independent opticians around Britain running free 30-second spot checks at selected Esso garages providing on-the-spot consultations and advice about where to go for a full eye exam.