IN ONE of the largest ever surveys conducted on driver vision in Ireland, Specsavers and the Road Safety Authority (RSA), have carried out vision screening at three major events and discovered that 46 per cent of people required a full eye examination.

The screening, part of a joint Focus on Driving campaign, took place at the National Ploughing Cham­pion­ships, the Over 50’s Show and the Modern Homes Exhibition in Limerick. A total of 1,216 people were checked with 563 recommended to go for a full eye test.

“These figures are marginally better than those for last year but, given that all of the vision screening then was carried out at the Over 50’s Show, with an older cohort of the population, this was not surprising,” explained Noel Brett, Chief Executive, RSA. “The message from this survey is simple – if you think your eyesight is not good enough you should get a full eye test. And if you are told to wear glasses when driving – wear them. Failure to do so not only means breaking the law but putting yourself and others in danger.”

Specsavers and the RSA recently launched the first-ever Focus on Driving Week whereby complimentary vision acuity screening was available in all 32 Specsavers stores nationwide. The screening measured people’s vision to ensure that it adheres to the legal requirement for driving at a given distance.

Specsavers store director in Dun Laoghaire, Alan Constable added:

“As one of the largest-ever eyecare surveys, these are the most accurate statistics of drivers’ vision to-date. The findings are concerning and we would advise as many people as possible to visit a Specsavers store. A full eye test is always recommended first and foremost, and people really need to follow the every two years rule. Having an eye test is as important as visiting the doctor or the dentist, and it would be foolish to take your eyesight for granted as well as being irresponsible for drivers.’

The Focus on Driving Campaign was created by Specsavers and the RSA in a bid to focus the nation on safer driving. It was developed as a consequence of driver screening  carried out by Specsavers in October 2006 that revealed how three in five drivers may have eyesight that was under the legal limit for driving.

A visual acuity score of less than 6/12 means that a person’s vision is only a quarter as strong as someone with normal vision and they would fail the legal eyesight requirement for driving.

Log onto www.rsa.ie or call into your local Specsavers for further information.