Vision Warning for Motorists: Keep a spare pair of glasses in your taxi or car
Updated: 2 days ago
Motorists who require prescription glasses to drive should keep a spare pair in their vehicle, according to breakdown provider Start Rescue.
In the UK, six in ten drivers need glasses or contact lenses for safe driving, according to the College of Optometrists. Despite this, nearly a quarter of those admit they do not always wear them at the wheel.
Vision unsurprisingly plays a critical role in driving, with 95% of sensory input coming from the eyes. Failing to wear prescription glasses can reduce clarity, increase fatigue, and heighten sensitivity to glare from daylight, streetlights, and headlights.
Poor weather and nighttime conditions make visibility even more challenging, increasing risks for all road users. Research shows that 42% of drivers struggle with vision in low-light or adverse weather.
Lee Puffett, Managing Director of Start Rescue, said: “It is essential drivers can read road signs and judge where they are going, especially if they need to guide their car to safety in the event of a breakdown.
“Even if you wear glasses or lenses all the time, we urge drivers to keep a spare pair in the car in case their usual ones are damaged or lost.”
Puffett added: “It’s also important to keep your glasses clean, as well as the car’s windscreen, to minimise glare and to see clearly. A spare pair of glasses in the car can be a life-saver and it’s the law in many European countries, such as France and Spain, so it’s vital if you are heading on holiday to the Continent.”
Daniel Hardiman-McCartney MBE FCOptom, a Clinical Adviser at the College of Optometrists and a practicing optometrist, said: “If you don’t need your glasses all the time, but have been advised to wear them driving, keep a pair in the glove compartment of your car. That way you always have them when you really do need them.”
