During the winter months, all drivers should keep their cars’ windows and lights scrupulously clean to make sure they can see out clearly in all weathers. All of this hard work can be undermined, though, if you fail to look after that most important aid to vision: your eyes.
It’s estimated there are more than 3,000 people killed or injured on the UK’s roads every because of drivers with poor eyesight.
A driver should read a car number plate from at least 20 metres. Tests show that drivers tend to keep within their field of vision, which means they will drive closer to the car in front so they can see its number plate and lights clearly. If your eyesight is below par, this means you may end up driving too closely to the car ahead and risk a collision should it brake or swerve unexpectedly.
If you have any concerns about your eyesight, you should make an appointment with an optician
Another consequence of bad eyesight is not being able to spot hazards until they are too close, leaving you with no time or space to react. Some drivers will also suffer from impaired peripheral vision, where movement and objects on the outer edges of their sight are not recognised by the eye.
Much more information is processed by the brain from peripheral vision than you might think. It’s often the eye and brain’s early warning system that warns of potential danger and is sometimes mistaken for someone having ‘a feeling’ an incident was about to happen. That extra split second of warning can make all the difference between disaster and driving home safely.
If you have any concerns about your eyesight, you should make an appointment with an optician. Not only will an optician advise on whether your eyes are as good as you think they are, they can check for other signs of wear and tear, as well as indicators of other health problems that may be underlying.
A straightforward eye test is quick, simple and completely pain-free. If you find your eyesight is not as good as it should be, the optician will also be able to advise on different ways to cure this, from spectacles through contact lenses all the way to eye surgery in the most urgent cases. You can also opt for laser eye surgery to correct poor vision, though you should always consult your optician about this.
Even if you find your eyes are in tip-top condition, you can still take steps to look after them for safer driving. Give yourself regular breaks when driving to avoid tiredness and eye strain. It’s also worth using a saline eye drop solution to keep them moist and clean in hot or dusty conditions.
Most importantly, don’t wait until you’re screwing your eyes into balls to see the car in front before heading to the optician: prevention is better than a cure, because a cure might come all too late.