In Focus: Eyes on road safety

Eye conditions impacting road safety and the importance of wearing corrective eyewear when driving were among the issues highlighted this Road Safety Week. Emma White reports

Glaucoma UK’s pumps adverts for Road Safety Week Thousands of schools, organisations and communities came together to support road safety charity Brake’s biggest annual campaign, Road Safety Week, on November 19-25.

Those involved shared road safety messages, remembered people affected by road death and injury and raised funds to help Brake continue to campaign for safer roads. This Road Safety Week, the Association of Optometrists (AOP) urged the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) to implement fail-safe visual assessment methods to improve road safety. AOP chief executive Adam Sampson welcomed latest DVSA plans to review how sight tests were administered, but branded intended changes to conduct ‘the driving test eyesight check in any level of light – not just good daylight’ as ‘concerning’ and ‘completely missing the mark’.

‘The current system is deeply flawed and falls behind many other countries that require a full sight test to ensure motorists have good enough vision to drive. The number plate test is not a reliable indicator of whether someone can drive safely because it does not check all the relevant aspects of visual function. It is also only carried out once with a driving instructor, meaning someone can pass their test and then never have their vision checked again,’ he said.

Progress was made earlier this year when the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) updated its notifiable conditions list following open dialogue with the AOP about the administrative burden it could have on patients, optometrists and the DVLA. Sampson said: ‘Any review of sight tests for driving would be incomplete without improving the current system and requiring drivers to check their vision every time they renew their licence makes good sense to ensure they are meeting the legal standard.’ The DVSA confirmed it would work closely ‘with the DVLA and stakeholders including the AOP to develop the proposals’. Glaucoma UK’s Road Safety Week campaign encouraged people to keep their vision ‘road-ready’ by having regular eye tests, especially as glaucoma can be symptomless in the early stages.

To raise awareness, the charity placed petrol nozzle ads at stations in cities where there was less uptake of eye tests. Glaucoma UK’s chief executive, Joanne Creighton, said early diagnosis was key when it came to protecting people’s sight from glaucoma: ‘As glaucoma sight loss usually starts affecting the peripheral vision, you may not realise that it is slowly stealing your sight. ‘This is why the Road Safety Week campaign encourages people to get their eyes tested, to ensure they keep their vision road-ready.’ An updated version of the Driving and glaucoma booklet was also freely available, with improved accessibility, frequently asked questions, contact details for the DVLA and covering all four nations of the UK.

Specsavers highlighted that more than a quarter of people (27%) in the UK could experience hazards on the road due to living with astigmatism. The multiple used Road Safety Week to reveal the signs and symptoms of astigmatism and shared top tips on how to drive safely with the condition. A recent review of several studies found that two thirds (66%) of those with astigmatism experienced driving issues at night, according to the group, and with the days getting increasingly shorter, it urged drivers to remain vigilant of changes to their sight. ‘Astigmatism can present a range of symptoms including headaches, regularly having to squint to see clearly, eye strain or tiredness when focusing on prolonged tasks,’ said Specsavers’ clinical services director Giles Edmonds.

‘If you have astigmatism, it is important to get an eye test every two years and always wear your glasses or contacts when driving,’ he said. In October, the College of Optometrists revealed that nearly a quarter of UK drivers with corrected vision admitted to not wearing their frames when driving. It stated that driving at night was far more dangerous than driving in daylight, with the potential for colour recognition and peripheral vision to be compromised.

The College-commissioned research also revealed that some of the biggest night driving challenges cited by drivers, included rain, fog or snow (42%), concealed potholes (29%), cyclists (18%) and pedestrians (17%).

Daniel Hardiman-McCartney, a clinical adviser at the College, said: ‘It is important to ensure your windscreen is clean and clear inside and out, and that any glasses you do wear for driving are free of dirt and scratches and your prescription is up to date.’

He also advised drivers to always keep a pair of spectacles in the glove compartment of their car. ‘That way you always have them when you really do need them,’ he said.