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Driving in a snow blizzard recently was not a pleasant experience.
The snowflakes came hurtling thick and fast at the windscreen and as the blizzard turned to a white out, it was clearly unwise to continue the journey, so at the next safe opportunity I turned around and headed back.
With the wind behind me, the snow flurries were no longer so intense and visibility rapidly improved.
This set me thinking that the experience was actually worse than driving in thick fog. At least with the latter, lack of visibility was the only hazard, with the former the inability to see was compounded by a realisation that things were starting to get rather slippery underfoot.
Party games involving a blindfold soon make one aware of just how reliant we are on sight, which made the news that one-in-three drivers would fail the legal standard of vision for driving rather alarming!
Specsavers Corporate Eyecare conducted screening tests over an eight-month period on its drive safe roadshows. Two out of five visitors hadn't even had an eye test in the last two years - the recommended timeframe.
And over 80% of those found to have failing eyesight claimed they were good enough to drive and were patently unaware of their irresponsibility.
I remember at my last eye test the head optician remarking that their industry body had, for over 20 years, been lobbying the Government for a clearer standard than the number plate test at 20 metres.
Apparently, they were advised that a benchmark had been agreed based on the standard eye test Snellen chart. Again, for those who want to know, it's having a visual acuity of at least decimal 0.5 (6/12).
The Snellen chart test is obviously the most precise. But here comes the irony: the above mentioned precise figure is actually a line higher than that you would be required to read off if doing the number plate test at 20 metres! Senseless or what?
The Specsavers findings have serious implications for employers, who must exercise due duty of care towards their 'at work' drivers.
From the research, it would seem fair to assume that one in the three at work drivers have eyesight below the legal requirement with obvious repercussions for employers, especially if those at work drivers are involved in a road accident.
The obvious measure is to ensure that all at work drivers have their eyes tested within the regular recommended timeframes, once year for contact lens wearers and two years for spectacle wearers and those with normal eyesight.
By ensuring that they comply with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) 'Driving at Work: Managing work-related road safety' guide, through introducing mandatory eye tests, employers not only meet their duty of care obligations but can also save money through fewer accidents, reduced working time lost and healthier employees.
Quite frankly, it's a no brainer. A bit like my decision to turn around in the blizzard.
Driving blind in adverse weather conditions is no fun. For those unaware that their eyesight is sub standard, it may be fun but at the same time highly dangerous - for them and other road users.
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