A number of London boroughs have received free hi-vis tabards from Specsavers as part of their sponsorship of Road Safety Week.
Established by Brake more than 20 years ago, Road Safety Week seeks to raise public awareness of road safety issues, and is intended to act as ‘the driver for positive change on UK roads’.
The theme for Road Safety Week 2020 (16-22 Nov) will encourage everyone to learn ‘the what, the why, and the where’ of speed. It will highlight that whether a person is walking to school, cycling to town or driving to work, the speed of traffic matters to their safety.
As part of their sponsorship of the event, Specsavers has provided a number of London boroughs with free hi-vis tabards.
They will also be raising awareness of the importance of eye health, particularly when it comes to driving.
Research shows that poor vision increases a driver’s risk of crashing as it limits their ability to recognise hazards and impacts reaction time.
Giles Edmonds, Specsavers clinical services director, said: “Having good eyesight is one of the most basic requirements of safe driving.
“It means drivers will be able to spot potential dangers, see pedestrians and other vehicles, read road signs and judge speed, distance and movement. Without this, there can be catastrophic consequences on the road.
“While an eye test plays a part in being granted your driver’s licence in that you must be able to read a number plate from 20 meters away – eyesight can change over time, especially as we get older.
“This is why it is so important to have regular eye checks, not only to address any changes in short or long-sightedness but also because an optician can spot sight-threatening conditions that you may not be aware of, such as cataracts, macular degeneration or glaucoma.”
16 November 2020